Job summary
We are seeking a motivated and experienced HCPC registered Drama Psychotherapist who is passionate about offering therapy in adult in-patient mental health settings. You will work with a range of clients within Secure Services Forensic Units in North Bristol.
Our secure services are part of the South West Provider Collaborative, delivering secure mental health services across the South West region. We provide specialist treatment and care for people with a wide range of mental health problems including psychosis, severe anxiety, depression, trauma, and personality disorder. This includes a specialist service forpeople with learning disabilities, and autism spectrum disorder.
Fromeside and Wickham units are uniquely well resourced - with the advantage of having designated therapy rooms. There are seven arts psychotherapists working in the Hospital site and three modalities of treatment are available offering the opportunity for joint working. TheArts Psychotherapy team regularly offer Masters Trainees placements.
Main duties of the job
This a permanent post, working for 3 days per week (0.6WTE). The post holder will be based in our well-established Arts Psychotherapies department and will benefit from integrating with the wider provision of psychological therapies across the service. You will be expected to input into patients' care pathways, working closely with other professions within the Multi-Disciplinary Team.
You would work as an autonomous clinical practitioner, planning and providing a Drama Psychotherapy service, providing specialist drama psychotherapy assessments and interventions, offering a range of group and individual treatment options. As well as offering direct work with patients, the role also includes facilitating staff support spaces such asReflective Practice groups and Clinical Supervision.
We are looking for someone with the following skills;-
- Excellent communication and engagement skills, who can work autonomously whilst being integrated into MDT working.
- Someone who is trauma-informed and interested in developing practice.
- Ability to plan and implement individual and group sessions and input into service user's integrated care programmes.
You would be joining a service where there are clear lines of professional and clinical casemanagement, excellent peer support within the arts psychotherapies team, and established management structures.
About us
We are AWP (Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust)a diverse organisation with over 5,000 dedicated staff providing inpatient and community-based mental health care. We provide services from a range of locations to approximately 1.8 million people living in Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES), Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, across the county of Wiltshire and in parts of Dorset.
Our outstanding people promote mental health and wellbeing. The expertise and resources within AWP are dedicated to a person-centred approach for those who use our services and for all employees. We recognise that happy and fulfilled employees give better care.
At AWP we actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds; we are particularly keen to encourage applications from people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities and from the LGBTQ+ community. We want people to bring their unique blend of experiences, backgrounds, perspectives and knowledge to AWP, as diversity makes us stronger.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Key Result Areas
Clinical
- To provide a specialist Drama 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 interventions available.
- 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 date.
- 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 which to practice.
- To be responsible for ensuring that all arts works, and digital images and recordings are appropriately stored in line with HCPC, professional associations 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.
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, recording learning 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 drama psychotherapy and provide specialist advice. This may include presentations.
- To engage in ongoing statutory and mandatory training.
Service and Policy Development
- To keep Lead Arts Psychotherapist 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 dramatherapy 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.
Other Duties
The post holder may be required to perform duties other than those given in the job description for the post. The particular duties and responsibilities attached to posts may vary from time to time without changing the general character of the duties or the level of responsibilities entailed. Such variations are a common occurrence and would not of themselves justify the re-evaluation of a post. In cases, however, where a permanent and substantial change in the duties and responsibilities of a post occurs, consistent with a higher level of responsibility, then the post would be eligible for re-evaluation.
Communications and Working Relationships
Lead Arts Psychotherapist
Arts Psychotherapy colleagues
Clinical Teams
Other Statutory Organisations
Student Training Establishments
Community Forensic Mental Health Teams
Most challenging part of this role
The post holder will work as an autonomous practitioner, relating to and working with colleagues across clinical teams. There will be a need to be flexible and adaptable with an ability to respond creatively to ongoing challenges and changes.
The post is emotionally challenging as service users that meet the criteria for accessing services within the Trust will have diverse and complex mental health problems and/or severe and enduring mental illness and/or trauma.
For further details / informal visits contact: Rowan Armes Lead for Arts Psychotherapies, Secure Services rowanarmes@nhs.net 0117 354 6946/6947
Job description
Job responsibilities
Key Result Areas
Clinical
- To provide a specialist Drama 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 interventions available.
- 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 date.
- 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 which to practice.
- To be responsible for ensuring that all arts works, and digital images and recordings are appropriately stored in line with HCPC, professional associations 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.
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, recording learning 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 drama psychotherapy and provide specialist advice. This may include presentations.
- To engage in ongoing statutory and mandatory training.
Service and Policy Development
- To keep Lead Arts Psychotherapist 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 dramatherapy 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.
Other Duties
The post holder may be required to perform duties other than those given in the job description for the post. The particular duties and responsibilities attached to posts may vary from time to time without changing the general character of the duties or the level of responsibilities entailed. Such variations are a common occurrence and would not of themselves justify the re-evaluation of a post. In cases, however, where a permanent and substantial change in the duties and responsibilities of a post occurs, consistent with a higher level of responsibility, then the post would be eligible for re-evaluation.
Communications and Working Relationships
Lead Arts Psychotherapist
Arts Psychotherapy colleagues
Clinical Teams
Other Statutory Organisations
Student Training Establishments
Community Forensic Mental Health Teams
Most challenging part of this role
The post holder will work as an autonomous practitioner, relating to and working with colleagues across clinical teams. There will be a need to be flexible and adaptable with an ability to respond creatively to ongoing challenges and changes.
The post is emotionally challenging as service users that meet the criteria for accessing services within the Trust will have diverse and complex mental health problems and/or severe and enduring mental illness and/or trauma.
For further details / informal visits contact: Rowan Armes Lead for Arts Psychotherapies, Secure Services rowanarmes@nhs.net 0117 354 6946/6947
Person Specification
Documented and demonstrated at interview
Essential
- MA or equivalent in Drama Therapy
- Current HCPC registration or intent and eligible to register
- Minimum of two years of professional experience post-qualification
Desirable
- Knowledge and experience of working with presentations of trauma and/or psychosis using Drama Psychotherapy
- Experience of working in the NHS
- Further post-graduate qualification relevant to the post
Person Specification
Documented and demonstrated at interview
Essential
- MA or equivalent in Drama Therapy
- Current HCPC registration or intent and eligible to register
- Minimum of two years of professional experience post-qualification
Desirable
- Knowledge and experience of working with presentations of trauma and/or psychosis using Drama Psychotherapy
- Experience of working in the NHS
- Further post-graduate qualification relevant to the post
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.
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).
Additional information
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).
