School Counselling Expert: Iraq Schools Programme

About the project

The British Council is seeking expressions of interest from experienced education experts for a major EU-funded programme which is focused on improving the quality and equality of the primary and secondary education systems in Iraq through capacity building at Ministry and school level. The programme’s main objectives include:

• Subcomponent 1: Increasing enrolment rates by analysing the main causes of low enrolment and developing strategies to address the differential rates.
• Subcomponent 2: Raising the quality of education at primary and secondary school level by building capacity to enhance the curriculum, particularly in the areas of human science and peace education, and to support children with particular needs, including those with disabilities, children with special needs, Internally Displaced People (IDPs), refugees, and children with psychosocial support requirements, potentially including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
• Subcomponent 3: Increasing access to education for children with disabilities through the collection of baseline data, updating legislation and the curriculum, capacity building and awareness-raising.
• Subcomponent 4: Raising the quality of education through enhanced quality assurance of schools against standards.

About the role

The purpose of this consultancy role is to contribute to the delivery of training on school counselling to school counsellors, supervisors, and headteachers (subcomponent 2). School counsellors are to be found in many, but not all, schools in Iraq.

We are currently working with an Iraqi Working Group (with Kurdish representation) to develop a 5-day training course for school counsellors from Ninewa, and other governorates that have experienced conflict, to assist them in supporting students affected by fighting and by issues of migration and displacement. A needs analysis is currently taking place. In addition to this, we are also planning a 4-day training course for counsellors, headteachers and supervisors which may cover the school context, basic counselling skills, counselling methodologies and study skills which will be cascaded to trainers and then to school counsellors in non-conflict affected areas.

We are therefore seeking short term consultancy support with developing and delivering the courses to make counsellors more effective in collaboration with our existing consultants. The successful candidate will deliver training directly to school counsellors from conflict affected areas and also deliver training to trainers who will then train counsellors, head teachers and supervisors from other areas of Iraq.

Meetings and workshops are generally held in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and last usually up to a week, but have also taken place in Beirut, Lebanon. These are in Arabic and Kurdish but interpreters are provided to work alongside the national and international consultants. Direct international flights into Erbil are available.

Qualifications and experience required

Interested candidates should have the following qualifications, skills and professional experience:

Essential

• Postgraduate qualification in educational psychology/counselling/psychotherapy for children and adolescents, preferably in a school setting – accredited to professional body e.g., UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP), British Association of Counselling and Psychology (BACP), British Psychological Society (BPS) or equivalent
• Experience of counselling vulnerable, at-risk students in school setting
• Experience of supporting young people and adults affected by conflict, migration, displacement 
• Experienced trainer particularly training counsellors/psychotherapists 
• Experience of working with school staff and headteacher to support vulnerable students 
• Experience of writing practical short-course training materials for counsellors
• Experience of working in more than one cultural context – preferably including the Middle East 
• Experience and ability to work to tight deadlines 
• Flexibility and able to react positively to change
• Good knowledge of the effects of trauma on learning and behaviour, particularly in school
• Good knowledge of the practical implications of recent developments in neuroscience and brain research related to effects of trauma 
• Knowledge of a range of counselling interventions suitable to school counselling  e.g. drama/art/play therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitivisation and reprocessing (EMDR). 

Desirable

• Experience of staff counselling supervision
• Experience of working through interpreters ( if not Arabic speaker)
• Experience of working in multi-agency team to support vulnerable students 
• Experience of working in or with people from a post-conflict context.

Applications should include:

• A cover letter tailored to the above requirements 
• A CV 
• Expected fee (cost will be a consideration in the appointment of a consultant).  

Please send the above to enquiries.development@britishcouncil.org with the title Short term expert for Iraq Schools Programme.