Arts Psychotherapist

Job description

Job responsibilities

Clinical

To provide a specialist arts psychotherapy service including assessment and treatment, using advanced levels of skill, for individual and group shorter and longer-term art psychotherapy and to advise teams in relation to service users complex needs and the range of interventionsavailable.

To carry out assessments and consultation to inform and enable comprehensive information gathering to establish diagnosis, re service users who present with unclear symptoms and complex mental health difficulties.

Regularly review and evaluate the therapy including levels of risk as part of the CPA process.

Communicate with empathy and sensitivity with service users and carers with an awareness and understanding of their problems and often complex issues.

To be responsible for own specialist caseload working within Trust policies, protocols and guidelines.

To record service users progress in RIO patient records, write reports and input statistical data.

To engage in reflective practice and clinical supervision and to offer clinical supervision to arts psychotherapy staff and other colleagues, as required.

To arrange and attend professional, team and specialist clinical supervision as appropriate to caseload.

Professional

Communicate effectively with members of clinical teams, managers and other professional colleagues both representing and providing an arts psychotherapy perspective.

Work with Managers and Locality leads to ensure that all new, current or adapted arts psychotherapy space/rooms conform to professional association standards and Standards for Better Health, and provide an adequate, appropriate and safe therapeutic environment in whichto practice.

To be responsible for ensuring that all arts works, and digital images and recordings are appropriately stored in line with HCPC, professional association guidelines and Trust policy.

To work within professional codes of practice and to Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) standards. To work using the best and evidence based practice.

To work effectively as a team member

Training and Staff Development

To maintain high standards of practice, demonstrate ongoing personal development through active participation in internal and external development and training opportunities, recordinglearning outcomes in a CPD portfolio to fulfil HCPC standards.

To engage in the appraisal process and own CPD and appraisal and CPD of junior/unqualified staff where appropriate. To ensure continuous engagement in ones own art process in line with HCPC standards.

To be responsible for the planning and organisation of placements for students including visits to other departments and evaluation of their progress.

To supervise, support and mentor students on placement where appropriate.

To be responsible for providing both verbal and written reports for universities and training establishments regarding students suitability to qualify.

To educate other professionals and their students about art psychotherapy and provide specialist advice. This may include presentations.

To engage in ongoing statutory and mandatory training.

Service and Policy Development

To keep Head of Profession or locality Head/Lead arts psychotherapist and Area Manager informed about local service developments, requirements, shortfalls and gaps in the service and input into team service development plans. Trust wide strategy and audit.

To be responsible for contributing to relevant policy and procedures.

To input and make proposals for the development of protocols and guidelines and input into the development of arts psychotherapy strategy.

To input into the Trust policy and procedures within the work area with particular reference to therapeutic issues.

Health and Safety

To be responsible for ensuring safe use of materials and equipment and work within health and safety policies and guidelines. Identify training needs for self and junior/unqualified staff where applicable.

To undertake specific training, keep records and be responsible for monitoring and maintaining health and safety and security of self and others in own work area.

Ensure regular health and safety training and updating for self and any junior/unqualified staff for which responsible.

To be responsible for and manage delegated art therapy equipment and materials budget, as appropriate. To order and maintain equipment in line with COSHH requirements.

Research and Development

To carry out or participate in research and clinical outcomes assessment to ensure best and evidenced based practice; to evaluate relevant current research, integrate into practice and disseminate to others.

To carry out or participate in audits and surveys to inform planning and ensure safe practice in line with clinical governance.

To collaborate with other specialist staff in designated area to extend the range of specialist psychological and group interventions available across the Area.

Person Specification

Qualifications and Experience

Essential

• Post graduate qualification in an Arts Psychotherapy at MA/MSc level, or equivalent.
• Registered with the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC), the UK Council for Counselling Psychotherapy (UKCP) or equivalent (ADMP) Registered and working within the Code of Practice for their Professional body.
• Knowledge and experience of working with people with Mental Health difficulties

Desirable

• Inpatient PICU / Acute ward experience

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust

Address

Callington Road Hospital Bristol

Callington Road

Bristol

BS45BJ

Employer's website

http://www.awp.nhs.uk/about-us/working-for-us/ (Opens in a new tab)