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Counselling Skills Level 3

Course Code: H70008C H70008D

Level: 3

Study mode: Part time

This course is designed for those people who wish to involve themselves in counselling either in a professional or voluntary capacity. The course will offer the opportunity for participants to examine their own personal development and enhance their self-awareness. It will include various counselling skills and methods and their application in specific practical situations, including experimental learning, considering ethical considerations. Group work and role-play will be included in the taught work.

The course is suitable for professionals employed in education, welfare or social services wishing to develop a counselling role. It may also be appropriate for those working in a voluntary capacity with self-help groups or other agencies.

A commitment to equal opportunities is an essential component of this course.

This course is considered as a “fast track” and needs to be viewed as such- when considering this course please think about whether you can attend all lessons (see more details below) whether they are in the classroom or on TEAMS as there will be a lot of course content covered each lesson.

It will be necessary for candidates to be able to do at least 9-11 hours of reading/ research per week, at home. A reading list will be provided, and you will need to obtain two or three books. (Books will be at the candidates own expense).

Note to applicants:

In this course you will be expected to talk about yourself in a classroom environment and have mandatory attendance of at least 90% for the duration of the course. As this is an introduction to the Counselling training you need to be aware that you will be expected to do a lot of use of self-reflection, and this could result in highlighting things that have happened and have impacted on your life/things that are happening and impacting on your life. You need to think carefully before embarking on this course to ensure that it is the right course for you at this time in your life as it will not be a place for you to have group therapy it will be an academic/teaching course that will help you learn and develop counselling skills.

Students will need to be prepared to seek outside help/college counsellor if it becomes apparent (or if the tutor advises) to ensure emotional safety.

Due to the nature of the course, with what will be shared in emotional check-ins and the classroom setting, students cannot attend with anyone they know or are related to.

Please note: 90% attendance for this course is mandatory in line with College and NCFE policy.

Course content

There are five mandatory units:

DEVELOPING COUNSELLING SKILLS
THEORETICAL APPROACHES IN THE USE OF COUNSELLING SKILLS
WORKING ETHICALLY WITH COUNSELLING SKILLS
COUNSELLING SKILLS AND DIVERSITY
COUNSELLING SKILLS AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT (please note this will not be a taught unit- students will complete this unit as either a presentation to the group or an assignment dependent on the start date of your course- September starters will do a presentation to the group for this unit/ January starters will complete this unit as a written assignment)

How will I be assessed?

Continuous assessment through assignments/projects/reflective journals and a portfolio of evidence

Completed Portfolio by the end of the course which will be internally and externally assessed.

Candidates must submit a completed portfolio of evidence by the end of the course for final assessment.

Attendance will be monitored throughout (minimum of 90%)

External verifier may request photocopying part of your portfolio, but your confidentiality will be always kept.

PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU WILL NOT BE A QUALIFIED COUNSELLOR AT THE END OF THIS COURSE.

Entry Requirements

Candidates will need to be 18 as of the 31^st Aug of that year
Prospective students for this course are required to show evidence of successful counselling training in Level 2 Counselling involving a minimum of 90 class time hours. It must have been a regulated course (e.g. regulated by Ofqual or RQF. Ideally learning needs to have taken place face to face in a classroom setting however lessons that have taken place in a remote classroom such as TEAMS/Zoom or Google Classroom will also be considered as long as a tutor has been present on every lesson to teach content.
Be able to provide a written academic and character reference from your level 2 Counselling course tutor/training provider. This reference will need to include evidence of above 85% attendance on your Counselling Courses/ Evidence of meeting deadlines on your Counselling Course/Evidence of being able to always remain professional in the classroom and growth in your personal development during your studies.
A level of IT skills will be needed to do this course as all course work will need to be uploaded to our Turnitin system.
Ideally if applicants are thinking about potentially wanting to progress to Level 4 then an English qualification will be required at either a grade 4 or C or above- we will accept other qualifications if they have been essay based.

Please be aware that students could be asked to complete a BKSB Maths & English initial and diagnostic assessment during the induction period to assess skills at that time and to help to enhance these skills during your studies.

Materials

Writing materials/ laptop/ tablet and or access to a mobile phone to be able to be shown how to use TEAMS etc.

A book list will be provided, and it is recommended you obtain one book from the list. (At candidates own expense).

Day, time and duration

Daytime –

Friday

Starting 9^th January 2026 until 10th July 2026

8.30am until 4.30pm

Coombs Wood

Along with the full day course there will also be a study support session on a Wednesday evening (5.30pm til 7.30pm)- whilst this is not weekly mandatory attendance this session is to support you with your studies and at least 1 session per month will be mandatory attendance. The Wednesday evening session will take place on Microsoft TEAMS

Evening –

Tuesday and Thursday

6th January 2026 until 9th July 2026

5pm – 9pm

Whittingham Road

For the Evening course- each month one of these lessons will take place on TEAMS- it will be the same evening for a month and then could change- for example- January- Tuesday lesson on site/ Thursday lesson on TEAMS-you will be notified which lesson each month will be on site and which one will be on TEAMS

You will need to choose either the daytime or the evening course whichever suits your best -whichever one you choose you will be expected to attend all lessons whether on site or online.

Minimum attendance for you to achieve the qualification will be at least 90%.

Please note you cannot be alternate between evening and daytime if you are unable to attend any of the lessons or move from daytime to evening or vice versa after week 2 of the start of the course.

Start date

W/c 5th January 2026

Course fees

£2225

Find out more about funding your course here

Course Code: H70008C H70008D

Level: 3

Study mode: Part time