Art/Drama/Music Psychotherapist

Integrated Care System; Nottingham; On-site; GBP 46,000 - 53,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in Nottingham seeks an experienced Art/Drama/Music Psychotherapist to join its multi-disciplinary team. This position offers a chance to work with young individuals experiencing various mental health issues, ensuring personalized therapeutic care. Qualified candidates should have robust training in arts therapy and a commitment to collaborative care.

Qualifications

• Experience of working with young people.
• Knowledge of mental health conditions such as eating disorders.
• Understanding of risk assessment in mental health.

Responsibilities

• Offer arts therapy to individuals and groups on referral basis.
• Undertake assessments and interventions for young people.
• Work closely with a multi-disciplinary team.

Skills

Assessment and response to serious self-harm

Communication of clinical formulations

Use of creative media

Ability to improvise with arts

Education

Qualified Arts Therapist

Registered with HCPC

Evidence of post graduate training

Job description

Go back Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Art/Drama/Music Psychotherapist

The closing date is 13 July 2025

Hopewood Hospital in Sherwood, Nottingham has 32 beds across 3 wards and is based on site with an education facility for our inpatients, a CAMHS community base with specialist teams and both inpatient and community perinatal teams.

Hercules, Pegasus and Phoenix Ward have an exciting opportunity for an experienced art, music or drama therapist to join our established Multi-Disciplinary Teams.

Pegasus Ward is a specialist eating disorder ward. Family based treatment is integral to the treatment and recovery of young people with eating disorders and families and carers are encouraged to be fully involved in their care; there are therefore opportunities for staff to be involved in family work as well as individual & group work with the young people.

Hercules Ward is an 8 bedded PICU that works with young people experiencing severe and enduring mental health problems. We work closely with families and a full MDT to ensure positive outcomes for young people and we encourage staff to be fully involved in patients care and participate in both group and 1:1 work.

Phoenix Ward is a busy 12 bedded general acute ward providing highly specialist services, 7 days a week, to young people aged 13 to 18 who are experiencing a range of mental health and emotional difficulties. We have a large MDT and opportunity to ensure a wide range of therapeutic intervention.

Main duties of the job

The post holder would offer arts therapy (art, music or drama therapy) to individuals and groups on a referrals basis, working closely with a dynamic and supportive multi-disciplinary team. The role includes undertaking assessments and interventions for young people with a range of needs including Eating Disorders, Psychosis, and Trauma.

Please note that this post does not meet the pay level required for a Skilled Worker Visa.

Successful applicants with no prior NHS experience would normally be placed at the bottom of the band in line with Agenda for Change. This salary is below the minimum salary required for sponsorship for a Skilled Worker / Health & Care visa. In these circumstances the Trust would not, therefore, be able to sponsor for a Skilled Worker / Health & Care visa.

Applicants requiring a Skilled Worker Visa can determine the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship against the relevant criteria here https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa

About us

#TeamNottsHC comprises over 11,000 dedicated colleagues who #MakeADifference every day. We deliver intellectual disability, mental health, community health, forensic, and offender healthcare services across Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, and South Yorkshire. Our care is provided from over 200 sites, spanning community locations, acute settings, and secure environments, including prisons.

We are one of the largest mental health and community Trusts in the East Midlands and one of Nottinghamshire's biggest employers. We also host national and regional services, such as the National High Secure Deaf Service and the Nottingham Centre for Transgender Health.

We offer a variety of employee-led staff networks, including Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) groups, the Green Champions network, the Freedom to Speak Up network, the Health and Wellbeing Champions network, and the Menopause Champions network. These networks play a vital role in supporting our diverse workforce and promoting a culture of inclusivity.

The health and wellbeing of colleagues is a top priority. We invest significantly in this through our in-house occupational health and staff counselling services, supported by a dedicated Health and Wellbeing team.

The Trust is committed to reducing its carbon emissions, with a specialised Energy and Environmental team working to ensure compliance with environmental legislation, enhance our environmental performance, and achieve our net-zero commitment.

Job responsibilities

See job description and person specification for further details relating to the Arts Music Drama Psychotherapy post.

Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. The cost of the DBS application is £26.40 (standard) or £54.40 (enhanced), this cost will be deducted from your salary over the first 2 months of employment.

You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. An annual fee of £16 per year applies.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Qualified Arts Therapist
• Registered with HCPC
• Evidence of post graduate training

Experience

• Experience of working with young people
• Experience working with groups with specialist mental health needs (e.g. Eating Disorders, ADHD,
• Experience of working in brief/time -limited modes of therapy.
• Experience of working in or with professionals and agencies related to mental health and wellbeing.
• Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team.
• Experience of working within an inpatient setting
• Experience of dealing with young people in crisis.
• Experience of working with parents and families.

Knowledge

• Up to date knowledge of Arts Therapy practice, guidelines and developments
• Understanding of wide range of mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, OCD and serious bipolar disorder.
• Understanding of risk assessment principles and how to integrate into mental health assessment and therapeutic practice.
• Awareness of local and national developments, protocols and policies relevant to child and adolescent mental health and wellbeing.
• Experience and knowledge relating to evidence-based practice.
• Able to apply training, experience and skills to mental health work.
• Knowledge of the use of creative and therapeutic modern media for information, engagement and service development.

Skills

• Competence in assessing and responding to episodes of serious self-harm including overdose and related risks.
• Understanding of risk assessment principles and how to integrate into mental health assessment and therapeutic practice.
• Ability to develop and communicate well-reasoned clinical formulations, assessments and care-plans.
• Experience and knowledge relating to evidence-based practice.
• To be able to use a range of art and art-making materials and techniques competently and be able to help a service user to work with these.
• To be able to use a range of dramatic concepts, techniques and procedures including games, activities, styles and structures and to improvise drama spontaneously with service users in a variety of styles and idioms
• To be able to use a range of music and music-making techniques competently including improvisation, structured musical activities, listening approaches and creation and composition of material and music technology where appropriate and be able to help a Service user to work with these.
• Able to apply training, experience and skills to mental health work.
• Ability to make creative and therapeutic use of modern media for information, engagement and service development.

Values & Behaviours

• All colleagues are expected to demonstrate that they act in line with Nottinghamshire Healthcare Foundation Trust Values - Trust Honesty Respect Compassion Teamwork.
• All colleagues are expected to demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) and how it applies to their role.

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.

Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

£46,148 to £52,809 a yearper annum (pro rata for part time)