Job summary
Dunstable MHST Art Therapist Roles - Band 7 (WTE 0.5)
Are you ready for an exciting and varied career change? If so, our Mental Health Support Team's (MHST) are looking for you! We are looking for an experienced children's Art Therapist to join our MHST in Dunstable, where we are looking to expand the range, choice and access our children and their families have to developmental support.
Main duties of the job
You will be part of a vibrant expanding workforce that is committed to close collaborative working across our local schools.
We know already how important art therapies are for our children and their families and carers. We need a skilled art therapist in each of our teams to provide assessment and group sessions that will promote development aims for our service users and their families. We also want to enhance further how art therapies are developed across a wide range of areas including joint working with other professionals, its use in supporting our staff wellbeing and in fostering more our culture of the development of our service through co-production with our service users.
You will join a Trust with an amazing track record of arts therapies development, research and support. ELFT have over 75 arts therapists contributing into all of our care pathways. There are excellent opportunities for support including a specific Trust wide arts therapies CPD programme and supervision support.
About us
Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive - so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.
Job description
Job responsibilities
For further information please contact either:
Laura Gill
Systemic Family Psychotherapist/Operational Lead for Dunstable MHST/SCAS
laura.gill14@nhs.net
01582 707635
Ramona Barsalona
Art Psychotherapist, Dunstable CAMHS Emotional & Behavioural Team
01582 707635
ramona.barsalona1@nhs.net
Proposed Interview Date: Friday 18th November
Job description
Job responsibilities
For further information please contact either:
Laura Gill
Systemic Family Psychotherapist/Operational Lead for Dunstable MHST/SCAS
laura.gill14@nhs.net
01582 707635
Ramona Barsalona
Art Psychotherapist, Dunstable CAMHS Emotional & Behavioural Team
01582 707635
ramona.barsalona1@nhs.net
Proposed Interview Date: Friday 18th November
Person Specification
Education, training and qualifications
Essential
- Degree in relevant area
- MA (or equivalent) in Art Therapy, Music Therapy, Drama therapy and or Dance Movement Psychotherapy.
- Registration with the HCPC for Art Therapy, Music therapy or Drama therapy
- For Dance Movement Psychotherapies: Registration with ADMP UK
Desirable
- Membership of Arts Therapies Professional Body
- Clinical Supervision Training
- Further training in an area of psychological practice relevant to the post's clinical area
- CBT Training
Previous experience
Essential
- Post qualification experience as an Arts Therapist working with the client group that this post is linked to in both individual and group work
- Experience of working with Service Users with challenging needs
- Supervision of a trainee Arts Therapist
- Experience of assessing service users and making recommendations to a Multi-disciplinary team
- Experience of providing teaching and training sessions regarding the benefits of the Arts and Arts Therapies to a variety of audiences
- Experience of supervision and support of Arts in Health projects
Desirable
- Experience of working as an Arts Therapist in a Multidisciplinary team
- Experience of providing Arts Therapist as part of research or clinical trial
- Experience of providing Arts Therapist in schools and children's settings
- Experience of project management and evaluation supporting service development
- Experience of running reflective practice sessions/arts support for other disciplines e.g. Nursing, Occupational Therapy
- Experience of using CBT Models
Skills and abilities
Essential
- High standard of verbal communication skills including the ability to provide concise, clear and relevant feedback to a ward round or MDT meeting
- Computer literacy and a high standard of written communication skills including the ability to produce clear reports detailing progress of therapy, selecting relevant information from sessions and presenting this without bias
- Developed interpersonal skills enabling therapeutic alliances to be developed and maintained with clients
- Ability to treat Service Users with respect and dignity at all times, adopting a culturally sensitive approach which considers the whole person
- Ability to apply specialist skills in individual and group based Music Therapy assessments and interventions.
- Ability to work both independently and a part of a MDT team
- Ability to assess and manage frequent distressing clinical interactions with clients who have serious mental health problems
- Ability to assess and manage exposure to potential hazards including frequent verbal aggression and risk of physical aggression in hospital setting whilst ensuring safety of self, client and members of the public.
- Good organisational and time management skills
- Line management of more junior staff
- Adapts and uses a range of Arts Therapies clinical techniques including use of developmental aims as essential
- Ability to work with and contain emotional impact through clinical supervision and team support systems
- Ability to assess risk and be able to work face to face with acutely unwell service users
- Ability to contain and work with organisational stress and ability to "hold" the stress of other
KNOWLEDGE OF:
Essential
- The needs and rights of service users and / or carers in planning and service development
- The mental health support needs of Children, young people and families
- The Children's Act
- Policies related to the Service, e.g. risk assessment
- Governance and its application
- Current National legislation, policies and guidelines relevant to the clinical context of the Post and their application
- Children and young people's mental health research, diagnosis and treatment and approaches in related fields i.e. child development
- Arts Therapies research and literature relevant to Child Development
- Equal Opportunities related to staff and clients
- Collaborative working between Arts Therapies and music in health
- A working knowledge of Child Protection Guidelines
OTHER REQUIREMENTS RELEVANT TO THE POST:
Essential
- Ability to adapt to physical environment when dedicated therapy rooms are not available e.g. transporting materials, equipment etc and willingness to move furniture to set up a room (within Health and Safety parameters)
- Physical skills to facilitate a wide range of activities both on a one-to-one and group basis, including using equipment as required
- Mental and emotional effort required to undertake intense concentration for clinical interventions on both a one-to-one and group basis
- Active involvement in ongoing professional and team development and a commitment to developing other team members
- Emotional effort: Dealing with families who are in challenging circumstances; occasional patient complaints; conveying of unwelcome news
- Working conditions: Occasional verbal and physical abuse; unpredictable clinical scenarios eg emergency home visits; travel in community all weathers.
Desirable
- Record of having published in either peer reviewed or academic professional journals and/or books
- Ability to support the development of the profession through participation in professional bodies and activities
Person Specification
Education, training and qualifications
Essential
- Degree in relevant area
- MA (or equivalent) in Art Therapy, Music Therapy, Drama therapy and or Dance Movement Psychotherapy.
- Registration with the HCPC for Art Therapy, Music therapy or Drama therapy
- For Dance Movement Psychotherapies: Registration with ADMP UK
Desirable
- Membership of Arts Therapies Professional Body
- Clinical Supervision Training
- Further training in an area of psychological practice relevant to the post's clinical area
- CBT Training
Previous experience
Essential
- Post qualification experience as an Arts Therapist working with the client group that this post is linked to in both individual and group work
- Experience of working with Service Users with challenging needs
- Supervision of a trainee Arts Therapist
- Experience of assessing service users and making recommendations to a Multi-disciplinary team
- Experience of providing teaching and training sessions regarding the benefits of the Arts and Arts Therapies to a variety of audiences
- Experience of supervision and support of Arts in Health projects
Desirable
- Experience of working as an Arts Therapist in a Multidisciplinary team
- Experience of providing Arts Therapist as part of research or clinical trial
- Experience of providing Arts Therapist in schools and children's settings
- Experience of project management and evaluation supporting service development
- Experience of running reflective practice sessions/arts support for other disciplines e.g. Nursing, Occupational Therapy
- Experience of using CBT Models
Skills and abilities
Essential
- High standard of verbal communication skills including the ability to provide concise, clear and relevant feedback to a ward round or MDT meeting
- Computer literacy and a high standard of written communication skills including the ability to produce clear reports detailing progress of therapy, selecting relevant information from sessions and presenting this without bias
- Developed interpersonal skills enabling therapeutic alliances to be developed and maintained with clients
- Ability to treat Service Users with respect and dignity at all times, adopting a culturally sensitive approach which considers the whole person
- Ability to apply specialist skills in individual and group based Music Therapy assessments and interventions.
- Ability to work both independently and a part of a MDT team
- Ability to assess and manage frequent distressing clinical interactions with clients who have serious mental health problems
- Ability to assess and manage exposure to potential hazards including frequent verbal aggression and risk of physical aggression in hospital setting whilst ensuring safety of self, client and members of the public.
- Good organisational and time management skills
- Line management of more junior staff
- Adapts and uses a range of Arts Therapies clinical techniques including use of developmental aims as essential
- Ability to work with and contain emotional impact through clinical supervision and team support systems
- Ability to assess risk and be able to work face to face with acutely unwell service users
- Ability to contain and work with organisational stress and ability to "hold" the stress of other
KNOWLEDGE OF:
Essential
- The needs and rights of service users and / or carers in planning and service development
- The mental health support needs of Children, young people and families
- The Children's Act
- Policies related to the Service, e.g. risk assessment
- Governance and its application
- Current National legislation, policies and guidelines relevant to the clinical context of the Post and their application
- Children and young people's mental health research, diagnosis and treatment and approaches in related fields i.e. child development
- Arts Therapies research and literature relevant to Child Development
- Equal Opportunities related to staff and clients
- Collaborative working between Arts Therapies and music in health
- A working knowledge of Child Protection Guidelines
OTHER REQUIREMENTS RELEVANT TO THE POST:
Essential
- Ability to adapt to physical environment when dedicated therapy rooms are not available e.g. transporting materials, equipment etc and willingness to move furniture to set up a room (within Health and Safety parameters)
- Physical skills to facilitate a wide range of activities both on a one-to-one and group basis, including using equipment as required
- Mental and emotional effort required to undertake intense concentration for clinical interventions on both a one-to-one and group basis
- Active involvement in ongoing professional and team development and a commitment to developing other team members
- Emotional effort: Dealing with families who are in challenging circumstances; occasional patient complaints; conveying of unwelcome news
- Working conditions: Occasional verbal and physical abuse; unpredictable clinical scenarios eg emergency home visits; travel in community all weathers.
Desirable
- Record of having published in either peer reviewed or academic professional journals and/or books
- Ability to support the development of the profession through participation in professional bodies and activities
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
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).
