Job summary
Arts Therapist for Looked after children (Art, Drama, Music and Dance movement therapist)
We are excited to be recruiting into our Band 7 Arts Therapies post in Bedfordshire and Luton CAMHS Looked After Children's Team.
Arts Therapies are a dynamic growing workforce across all of ELFT CAMHS with over 30 clinicians across all arts modalities contributing to all our care pathways. This exciting role builds on the excellent feedback we have had from our young people on their access and involvement in arts therapies. Our partnership working with them to co-produce interventions and our collaboration with our local communities to embed arts therapies practice in local creative settings is essential to our vision for inclusion. The successful post holder will join a dynamic and creative team as well as wider Arts Therapies group.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will work with children and adolescents who have highly complex and persistent mental health difficulties, using evidence based practice to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions. You will provide a range of highly skilled therapeutic trauma-informed interventions, which will be delivered on an individual, group or family basis, provide consultations to social workers/foster carers, provide support to professional networks working with the children in care, and share specialist skills to the multi-disciplinary team.
About us
The team has recently expanded to include Luton and we aim to build upon a service which is established within Bedford and Dunstable. The team works with looked after children including those placed on SGO orders and Unaccompanied asylum seeking children. There are many opportunities for development with the team and being a part of a wider collaborative CAMHS service.
We place a high value on staff wellbeing and investment in teams to ensure a high quality service provision. Benefits of working for the Trust include a Holiday of a Lifetime Scheme, Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), Child care vouchers, Relocation packages and Wellbeing sessions
Job description
Job responsibilities
We are looking for someone to join us who has passion and experience of working with looked after children and able to contribute positively to the the growing team.
For details please see attached JD & PS
Job description
Job responsibilities
We are looking for someone to join us who has passion and experience of working with looked after children and able to contribute positively to the the growing team.
For details please see attached JD & PS
Person Specification
Education/ Qualification/ Training
Essential
- oRegistration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a Music therapist, Art therapist/Art Psychotherapist or Dramatherapist For Dance Movement Psychotherapists Registration with ADMP UK
- oEducated to Masters level or equivalent, or have a demonstrable experience of senior professional, clinical and management
- oA demonstrable record of continuing professional development and relevant post graduate qualification or training in specialist knowledge and skills
Desirable
- oClinical Supervision Training
- oFurther training in an area of psychological practice relevant to the post's clinical area
Experience
Essential
- oExperience of managing and supervising junior staff
- oExperience of service development
- oExperience of working as an Arts Therapist in a Multi-disciplinary team
- oExperience of working in a culturally diverse area
- oExperience of working in or liaising closely with multi-agency teams working with adolescents e.g. Schools, Social Care, Youth Participation Service, etc.
- oExperience of working with vulnerable young people who present with high risk behaviors.
- oExperience of delivering both individual and group therapy
- oSupervision of a trainee Arts Therapists
- oExperience of assessing service users and making recommendations to a Multi-disciplinary team
- oExperience of providing teaching, consultation and training sessions regarding arts therapies to a variety of audiences
- oExperience of supervision and support of Arts in Health projects
- oExperience of project management and evaluation supporting service development
Desirable
- oPrevious experience of working in CAMHS
- oExperience of working in community CAMHS and working within a multi-agency network
- oExperience of providing Arts Therapies as part of research or clinical trial
- oExperience of providing Arts Therapies in community settings
- oExperience of running reflective practice sessions for other disciplines and agencies
Skills and abilities
Essential
- oHigh standard of verbal communication skills including the ability to provide concise, clear and relevant feedback to a ward round or MDT meeting
- oComputer 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
- oDeveloped interpersonal skills enabling therapeutic alliances to be developed and maintained with clients
- oAbility to treat Service Users with respect and dignity at all times, adopting a culturally sensitive approach which considers the whole person
- oAbility to apply specialist skills in individual and group based Arts Therapies assessments and interventions.
- oAbility to work both independently and as part of a MDT team
- oAbility to assess and manage frequent distressing clinical interactions with clients who have serious mental health problems
- oAbility 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.
- oGood organizational and time management skills
- oAdapts and uses a range of Arts Therapies clinical techniques
- oAbility to work with trauma and contain emotional impact through clinical supervision and team support systems
- oAbility to assess risk and be able to work face to face with acutely unwell service users
- oThe ability to maintain and represent a CAMHS identity within a multi- agency setting, including managing the dynamics of a team within a team, i.e. The Specialist Workers in that context
- oAbility to co-ordinate work to meet agreed targets and deadlines.
Knowledge
Essential
- oUnderstanding of current NHS/Social Care policies/practices relating to Mental Health and Services and understanding of Child Protection Policy
- oAwareness of current national guidelines and policies and their application to the local population and complex demographics
- oIn depth knowledge of CAMHS issues including assessment and interventions Knowledge of The Mental Health Act 1983 (amended 2007) and associated legislation
- oKnowledge of local issues and complex demographics which impact on care delivery
- o Knowledge of the Children's Act and other appropriate legislation
- oKnowledge of standard setting and audit implementation
- oKnowledge of child and adolescent development and mental health
- oKnowledge of Arts Therapies research and literature relevant to child and adolescent mental health
Person Specification
Education/ Qualification/ Training
Essential
- oRegistration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a Music therapist, Art therapist/Art Psychotherapist or Dramatherapist For Dance Movement Psychotherapists Registration with ADMP UK
- oEducated to Masters level or equivalent, or have a demonstrable experience of senior professional, clinical and management
- oA demonstrable record of continuing professional development and relevant post graduate qualification or training in specialist knowledge and skills
Desirable
- oClinical Supervision Training
- oFurther training in an area of psychological practice relevant to the post's clinical area
Experience
Essential
- oExperience of managing and supervising junior staff
- oExperience of service development
- oExperience of working as an Arts Therapist in a Multi-disciplinary team
- oExperience of working in a culturally diverse area
- oExperience of working in or liaising closely with multi-agency teams working with adolescents e.g. Schools, Social Care, Youth Participation Service, etc.
- oExperience of working with vulnerable young people who present with high risk behaviors.
- oExperience of delivering both individual and group therapy
- oSupervision of a trainee Arts Therapists
- oExperience of assessing service users and making recommendations to a Multi-disciplinary team
- oExperience of providing teaching, consultation and training sessions regarding arts therapies to a variety of audiences
- oExperience of supervision and support of Arts in Health projects
- oExperience of project management and evaluation supporting service development
Desirable
- oPrevious experience of working in CAMHS
- oExperience of working in community CAMHS and working within a multi-agency network
- oExperience of providing Arts Therapies as part of research or clinical trial
- oExperience of providing Arts Therapies in community settings
- oExperience of running reflective practice sessions for other disciplines and agencies
Skills and abilities
Essential
- oHigh standard of verbal communication skills including the ability to provide concise, clear and relevant feedback to a ward round or MDT meeting
- oComputer 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
- oDeveloped interpersonal skills enabling therapeutic alliances to be developed and maintained with clients
- oAbility to treat Service Users with respect and dignity at all times, adopting a culturally sensitive approach which considers the whole person
- oAbility to apply specialist skills in individual and group based Arts Therapies assessments and interventions.
- oAbility to work both independently and as part of a MDT team
- oAbility to assess and manage frequent distressing clinical interactions with clients who have serious mental health problems
- oAbility 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.
- oGood organizational and time management skills
- oAdapts and uses a range of Arts Therapies clinical techniques
- oAbility to work with trauma and contain emotional impact through clinical supervision and team support systems
- oAbility to assess risk and be able to work face to face with acutely unwell service users
- oThe ability to maintain and represent a CAMHS identity within a multi- agency setting, including managing the dynamics of a team within a team, i.e. The Specialist Workers in that context
- oAbility to co-ordinate work to meet agreed targets and deadlines.
Knowledge
Essential
- oUnderstanding of current NHS/Social Care policies/practices relating to Mental Health and Services and understanding of Child Protection Policy
- oAwareness of current national guidelines and policies and their application to the local population and complex demographics
- oIn depth knowledge of CAMHS issues including assessment and interventions Knowledge of The Mental Health Act 1983 (amended 2007) and associated legislation
- oKnowledge of local issues and complex demographics which impact on care delivery
- o Knowledge of the Children's Act and other appropriate legislation
- oKnowledge of standard setting and audit implementation
- oKnowledge of child and adolescent development and mental health
- oKnowledge of Arts Therapies research and literature relevant to child and adolescent mental health
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).
