Art Psychotherapist

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust; England; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Part time

Job summary

A leading NHS healthcare provider in the UK is seeking an Art Psychotherapist to join the Bexley Community Learning Disabilities Team. This Band 7 position involves working two days a week and supporting adults with learning disabilities and autism through creative therapies. Responsibilities include conducting assessments, facilitating therapy sessions, and collaborating with a multidisciplinary team. Suitable candidates will have a relevant qualification and experience working with adults with complex needs.

Qualifications

• Experience working with adults with learning disabilities.
• Familiarity with complex needs including autism and mental health issues.
• Ability to work with challenging behaviours in a therapeutic context.

Responsibilities

• Assess clients for suitability for individual and group therapy.
• Facilitate flexible treatment programs using various artistic materials.
• Provide clinical supervision and advice to colleagues.
• Maintain patient records and write reports on treatment outcomes.

Skills

Art therapy

Communication skills

Client assessment

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Professional development commitment

Education

Relevant qualification in art psychotherapy

Job description

Overview

Are you looking for an Art Psychotherapy position in Adult Learning Disability that is part of a supportive, innovative and engaged MDT that delivers excellent care and improves the lives of people with a learning disability? This post is an exciting opportunity for an Art Psychotherapist who wishes to further develop their specialist skills working with adults with learning disabilities including autism. This is a new Band 7 post dedicated to the Bexley Community Learning Disabilities Team, for 2 days a week currently, to maintain and further develop the art psychotherapy provision for adults with varying degrees of learning disability, some of whom have complex needs including Autistic Spectrum Disorder, mental health difficulties and/or challenging behaviour.

You will work as part of the Bexley multi-disciplinary community learning disability team, within the psychological therapies sub-team. There is another Art Therapist co-located within the Bromley CLDT, and another in the Greenwich CLDT based at a different location. We also have a Music Therapist in all 3 boroughs, making it an exciting time within creative therapies in the Oxleas ALD service. The Bexley CLDT is based at Queen Marys Hospital, Sidcup.

Responsibilities

• To assess clients with complex and high risk needs for suitability for individual and group Art therapy.
• To facilitate a treatment program which is flexible and sensitive to the needs of the clients group and involve clients in 1:1 and Group work, using a variety of art materials in a therapeutic and creative way.
• To work as part of a multidisciplinary team in planning, implementing and evaluating treatment, providing assessment and treatment for clients referred to the service and evaluate care.
• To provide specialist advice and clinical supervision for other professionals, colleagues or trainees.
• The post holder will show proof of commitment to continuing professional development.
• To liaise with other members of the multidisciplinary team around treatment outcomes, referrals and formulation to ensure the service meets client needs while working within professional boundaries and HPC ethics and code of conduct.
• To maintain own patient records, write reports for consultants and other professionals to make recommendations, and feedback on patients treatment.
• To be able to access and disseminate up to date research and information in support of clinical work.
• To have excellent written and oral communication skills, maintain electronic records, support data collection and be computer literate in line with trust standards.
• The post holder will be able to work closely, in a sensitive and thoughtful way with disturbing and traumatic emotional material on a continuing daily basis with clients with learning disabilities and mental health issues. The work may involve working therapeutically with people with challenging behaviours displaying verbal and physical aggression and clients who may be resistive to change.

About Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, childrens centres, schools and peoples homes. We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England, operating in London within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Marys Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services with extensive coverage in multiple counties. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.

Values and Purpose

Our Purpose Is To Improve Lives By Providing The Best Possible Care To Our Patients And Their Families. This Is Strengthened By Our New Values:

• Were Kind
• Were Fair
• We Listen
• We Care