Counselling Skills Diploma Level 3
The NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma in Counselling Skills is for those aged 19 and over who want to progress to become a qualified professional counsellor, or gain counselling skills as part of their current profession, for example teachers and nurses. The course is run one full day a week for a full academic year and is taught in a supportive environment which involve seminars, role plays and discussion groups.
Who is this course aimed at?
Experienced professionals who wish to further their counselling skills to support their main employment role or those people wishing to obtain an introduction to counselling as a career option.
Course Content
The Counselling Skills Diploma Level 3 course is made up of five mandatory units including:
- 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
The content of the qualification will support the personal development and development of counselling skills and knowledge.The course is classroom based with role plays to evidence and support development of practical skills. Classroom work is delivered in a mixture of taught and research sessions with fully trained and experienced counsellors. Assessments are conducted in a variety of methods to create a portfolio across the year in order to achieve the qualification.
Entry Requirements
There are no formal entry requirements for this course – the ability to work at Level 3 and a desire to help others is more important than formal qualifications. Applicants must be 19+ at the time of enrolment.
Progression onto a Degree programme will require Level 2 (GCSE or equivalent) Literacy and Numeracy, although these can be obtained whilst simultaneously studying on this Level 3 programme.
Colchester Institute offers GCSE English, Maths and Functional Skills courses for adult learners.
Application and Interview Process
Applicants will be invited to a two-stage interview process, which takes place in the late spring/summer prior to starting the course:
Stage one: complete a short-written task (500 words) prior to the individual interview.
Stage two: face to face interview; short group work interaction followed by 15min individual interview.
Requirements for the course include some of the following which is assessed at interview and through the written task:
- Self-awareness and good level of self-understanding
- basic understanding of counselling skills
- interpersonal skills and ability to communicate effectively
- Good level of empathic understanding and active listening
- transferable skills- experience in working with people
- good writing skills (expected on a level 3 programme; support will be provided for returning to education students)
Career Opportunities
Entry level posts within the Counselling sector. Learners can progress onto the BA (Hons) in Person Centred Counselling Studies at University Centre Colchester UCC, MA or other CPD course in child therapy or other specific courses such as Counselling for Depression.
Level 3 Free Courses for Jobs
In September 2020, the Government announced the Lifetime Skills Guarantee. As part of this, in 2021 the Government announced it planned to invest £2.5 billion in the fund over the coming years. Originally launched as The National Skills Fund, the free courses for jobs offer is intended to help adults gain the skills needed to improve their job prospects, supporting the immediate economic recovery and building the future skills that employers require.
Since April 2021, the Lifetime Skills Guarantee has given adult learners (who will be studying for their first full Level 3 qualification) the opportunity to study without paying course fees.
This Level 3 course offered at Colchester Institute is included in the Level 3 Free Courses for Jobs offer under the Lifetime Skills Guarantee.
This programme may be free if you meet the eligibility criteria listed below. If these do not apply, you may need to pay a fee, and the fee is located further down the course information page. You can apply for a loan to cover all of your tuition fees.
Do I have to pay a fee?
The information in this section applies to this course, and as such may not apply to other courses with different funding criteria.
This course is for learners aged 19 and over.
| You will not pay tuition fees for this course if you are: |
| aged 19-24 on the 31st August 2025 and have an active Education, Health and Care Plan |
| aged 19 and over at the start of this course and you do not already have a qualification at this level (a full Level 3 or equivalent). * This means that you have not previously attained a full Level 3 or equivalent (2 A Levels or 4 AS Levels, or QAA Access to Higher Education (HE) Diploma at Level 3, or a Level 3 Tech level or applied general qualification (e.g. BTEC)). In some cases, if you need to first enrol on a lower level course, before progressing to a level 3, this may also be fully funded by the government. |
| You will pay tuition fees if you are: |
| aged 19 and over at the start of this course and have previously achieved a full Level 3 qualification |
| Learners required to pay tuition fees can either self-fund (whereby you or your employer pays for the course) or apply for an Advanced Learner Loan to cover all, or part, of the tuition fees for this course. The minimum loan you can get is £300, but the maximum will depend on how much the fees are and the type of course you take. |
What if I am on a low income or unemployed?
| From 1st April 2022 adults in England who already have an existing full Level 3 qualification or higher, or have previously achieved any other qualification included in the Level 3 adult offer, may be able to study this qualification for free. |
| You will not pay tuition fees provided that your qualification was achieved before 1st April 2021 and you meet either of the criteria below: |
| aged over 19, unemployed and in receipt of benefits |
| employed and earning under the National Living Wage annually (£25,000) |
For students with an identified low household income, there may be financial support available through the College’s discretionary bursary fund. Although the funds cannot be used to pay for course fees they can be used to contribute towards other course related costs such as travel, childcare, books and equipment.
Other Additional Costs
Regardless of whether tuition fees apply, some of our programmes incur additional costs which could include:
- Equipment costs – such as uniforms, kits, books and so on
- Trips and enrichment activities
- DBS checks (formerly CRB checks)
- Occupational Health Screening
You will be informed of any additional costs associated with your chosen programme as early as possible to allow time for payment to be made.
Advanced Learner Loans
Am I eligible for an Advanced Learner Loan?
To qualify for an advanced learner loan to cover the fees for this course you must be:
- 19 years old or over on the first day of your course (there’s no upper age limit)
- A UK national or have ‘settled status’ (this means there are no restrictions on how long you can stay)
- Living in the UK on the first day of your course, and have lived in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for three years immediately before this
Most learners that fall into this bracket will be eligible, it doesn’t depend on your household income and there’s no credit check!
If your nationality or residency status is different to the above, then please contact the national Advanced Learner Loan helpline on 0300 100 0619 or check the Advanced Learner Loan website: https://www.gov.uk/advanced-learner-loan where you will be able to find further information on eligibility.
How do I apply for an Advanced Learner Loan?
Once you have applied and been offered a place on the course, the college will provide you with a ‘learning and funding information letter’. These are normally sent out in early July.
You need this to complete the loan application and you cannot apply for a loan until you have received this.
Once you have applied for a loan and it has been approved you will receive an official letter from Student Finance England.
Am I eligible for a bursary?
Applicants thinking of enrolling on this course can apply for funding to help with the costs associated with attending college. Bursary funds are targeted at students where there is an identified low household income.
If your household income is below £25,000 per annum, you are likely to be eligible for support through the 19+ Bursary Fund (19+ and taking your 1st Level 3 course) or Advanced Learner Loan Bursary Fund (for students paying tuition fees with an advanced learner loan).
The bursary fund cannot provide help with costs unrelated to your course, such as general living expenses, nor can it be used as an attendance incentive.
Applications to the fund are not normally considered if the household income exceeds £30,000 but may be considered in some instances if the household is experiencing severe financial hardship.
Funds are targeted at course related costs such as travel, childcare, books and equipment.
Regardless of income or employment status, students self-funding (including where an employer is covering course fees), are not eligible for financial assistance through any discretionary bursary funds.
When can I apply?
******Applications for student funding for learners who started in September 2024 are still open. Applications can be made from this page using the button below.
Applications for student funding for learners starting in September 2025 will not open until the end of June 2025*****
For courses starting in September 2024, applications should be made by 1st November 2024. If you find yourself in financial hardship after this date it is important that you still contact Student Services. Applications received after 1st November will be considered on a pro-rata basis subject to need and the availability of funds.
Payment Options
Payment should be made in full at the time of enrolment. Acceptable payment methods include Debit Card and Credit Card (excluding American Express). Please note that we are no longer able to accept cash or cheque payments.
Can I pay in instalments?
Yes, you can spread the cost of fees. Any student of the College who pays his/her own programme costs is entitled to do so on a monthly payment plan basis, providing the total course fees exceed £200 and the student is aged 19 years, or over, on 31st August in the current academic year.
Where total course fees exceed £200 you (or your employer, if they are paying your course fees) can choose to pay your fees in instalments through a monthly payment plan and 40% of the fee or £500 (whichever is lower) will be payable at enrolment.
The balance must be paid within 6 months or by the end date if the course is less than 6 months in duration.
The monthly instalment payments will also be set up at the point of enrolment, or if you are enrolling using our online enrolment process, a member of our Finance team will contact you to set up the instalment plan after you have submitted your online enrolment.
In order to pay through monthly instalments, students must sign the Colchester Institute Instalment Payment Plan terms and conditions!
If a student fails to sign up to an instalment plan at enrolment all fees will become due for payment within 30 days.
Failure to fulfil any terms and conditions of an instalment agreement will result in you becoming immediately liable for the full outstanding balance and you may not be entitled to pay any future fees by instalments.
Please download and save the form below, then fill it in and sign it. These forms can either be emailed to registry@colchester.ac.uk prior to enrolment, or if you are completing an online enrolment you can upload these documents during the enrolment process.
Further Education Fee Instalment Student Terms and Conditions
Employers who are funding a student’s fees must complete and sign an authorisation form which must be submitted either prior to or at enrolment together with an advance payment of 40% of the course fee or £500, whichever is lower. This can be paid via the online store prior to or at the point of Enrolment.
If the advance payment is not made prior to or at Enrolment the student will not be eligible to attend college.
Further Education Employer Authorisation Form, Instalment Plan, Terms and Conditions
The application window for part-time courses starting in September and October 2025 opens in January 2025, and we start processing applications from this date.
Applications for this course are made via our online application form and you will be able to access it from this course page.
Once you are ready to apply then please click the ‘Apply Online‘ button which will be located in the menu directly underneath this section from January 2025.
Upon successful submission of an application you will receive an acknowledgement email from our Admissions team. If you do not receive this you should contact the team to check that your application has been received.
During the second half of the summer-term (May and June), applicants will start to receive further correspondence from the College about the next stages of the admissions process. These will include details about interviews with the course tutor or any pre-assessments and trades tests.
Once applications are open, if you have any further questions about the application process or next available start date, want to check the progress of your application or if you are unsure about anything please contact us using the enquiry line or enquiry form below.
Counselling Skills Diploma Level 3
Qualification: NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma in Counselling Skills
| Level | Level 3 |
|---|---|
| Location | Colchester |
| Duration | 36 weeks (One Year) |
| Study Mode | Part-Time |
| Campus / Adult Skills Centre | Colchester Campus |
| Start Date | September 2025 |
| Applications | Applications for September 2025 will be opening in January |
| Attendance | One day per week (Monday) |
| Fee(s) | £2,225* |
| Awarding/Validation Body | NCFE |
*This course will be free to any adult meeting the eligibility criteria under the Lifetime Skills Guarantee
Other courses in this area
Disclaimer
All fees, prices and funding information shown on this page are for courses starting in the 2024-25 academic year unless stated otherwise, and are correct at the time of entering/printing information, however these may be subject to change due to factors outside of our control. The College cannot accept legal or financial liability as a result of any such changes.
Courses fees are generally not confirmed for September until June / July due to the above factors.
The course information describes programmes offered by Colchester Institute. The College takes all reasonable steps to provide courses as described, but cannot guarantee provision. The information is for guidance and does not form any part of a contract.
The College reserves the right to update and amend information as and when necessary. Colchester Institute will do its best to provide the courses shown, but may have to modify or withdraw a course depending on customer demand and other factors.
