Art Therapist

Bridgend County Borough Council; Bridgend; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Bridgend County Borough Council is seeking a highly specialist Art Therapist to provide assessment, intervention and clinical leadership within the Trauma Service for children, young people and families affected by trauma.

The post holder will deliver creative therapeutic approaches, supervise staff, contribute to safeguarding and service development, and maintain high-quality records, with emphasis on trauma-informed practice and interagency collaboration.

Qualifications

• Enhanced DBS check with Children's Barred list is required.
• Valid driving licence is a requirement.

Responsibilities

• Provide highly specialist individual and group Art Therapy interventions for children, young people and families presenting with complex emotional, behavioural, developmental and relational difficulties.
• Undertake comprehensive therapeutic assessments, clinical formulations and intervention planning in relation to trauma, attachment, loss, abuse, neglect and adverse childhood experiences.
• Maintain responsibility for a complex caseload, exercising a high degree of professional autonomy and clinical judgement.
• Deliver specialist therapeutic interventions using a range of creative, symbolic and non-verbal approaches to support emotional expression, communication and psychological recovery.
• Provide professional consultation and reflective supervision to Social Workers, family support staff and other practitioners regarding trauma-informed practice, emotional wellbeing and therapeutic approaches.
• Support practitioners in understanding the emotional impact of trauma, secondary trauma and relational dynamics within family systems.
• Contribute specialist therapeutic expertise to safeguarding processes, child protection planning, care and support planning, multidisciplinary meetings and complex case discussions.
• Work collaboratively with education, social care, health and partner agencies to ensure coordinated and effective support for children and families.
• Develop and deliver training programmes, workshops and awareness sessions relating to trauma, attachment, emotional regulation, therapeutic communication and creative therapeutic practice.
• Promote and embed trauma-informed and psychologically informed practice across the service area.
• Provide clinical leadership in relation to the safe and ethical delivery of Art Therapy interventions in accordance with HCPC standards, professional codes of conduct and relevant legislation.
• Maintain accurate, confidential and high-quality clinical records, reports and therapeutic documentation in line with professional and organisational requirements.
• Ensure the secure and ethical management of artwork, assessments and therapeutic materials.
• Contribute to service evaluation, quality assurance, audit, research and continuous improvement activity.
• Support the development of therapeutic pathways, policies and innovative models of intervention within the Trauma Service.
• Participate in professional development, clinical supervision and continuing professional development activities to maintain professional registration and specialist expertise.

Job description

The job requirements are detailed below. Where applicable the skills, qualifications and memberships required for this job have also been included.

Job details

Contractual hours 37

Basis Full time

Job category/type Early Years and Childcare

Date posted 08/10/2026

Job reference 19200

37 hours per week

To provide highly specialist Art Therapy assessment, intervention and clinical leadership within the Trauma Service for children, young people and families experiencing trauma, emotional distress, attachment difficulties and complex relational needs.

The post holder will hold autonomous responsibility for the delivery of specialist therapeutic interventions using art psychotherapy and creative therapeutic approaches to support recovery, emotional regulation, resilience and wellbeing.

To provide professional consultation, reflective supervision and therapeutic guidance to Social Workers, family support practitioners and multidisciplinary staff working with children and families affected by trauma. The role will contribute to safeguarding, care planning and risk management processes through the provision of specialist clinical formulation and therapeutic insight.

The post holder will play a key role in service development, workforce development and the embedding of trauma-informed and psychologically informed practice across the directorate.

PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACTIVITIES:

Provide highly specialist individual and group Art Therapy interventions for children, young people and families presenting with complex emotional, behavioural, developmental and relational difficulties.

Undertake comprehensive therapeutic assessments, clinical formulations and intervention planning in relation to trauma, attachment, loss, abuse, neglect and adverse childhood experiences.

Maintain responsibility for a complex caseload, exercising a high degree of professional autonomy and clinical judgement.

Deliver specialist therapeutic interventions using a range of creative, symbolic and non-verbal approaches to support emotional expression, communication and psychological recovery.

Provide professional consultation and reflective supervision to Social Workers, family support staff and other practitioners regarding trauma-informed practice, emotional wellbeing and therapeutic approaches.

Support practitioners in understanding the emotional impact of trauma, secondary trauma and relational dynamics within family systems.

Contribute specialist therapeutic expertise to safeguarding processes, child protection planning, care and support planning, multidisciplinary meetings and complex case discussions.

Work collaboratively with education, social care, health and partner agencies to ensure coordinated and effective support for children and families.

Develop and deliver training programmes, workshops and awareness sessions relating to trauma, attachment, emotional regulation, therapeutic communication and creative therapeutic practice.

Promote and embed trauma-informed and psychologically informed practice across the service area.

Provide clinical leadership in relation to the safe and ethical delivery of Art Therapy interventions in accordance with HCPC standards, professional codes of conduct and relevant legislation.

Maintain accurate, confidential and high-quality clinical records, reports and therapeutic documentation in line with professional and organisational requirements.

Ensure the secure and ethical management of artwork, assessments and therapeutic materials.

Contribute to service evaluation, quality assurance, audit, research and continuous improvement activity.

Support the development of therapeutic pathways, policies and innovative models of intervention within the Trauma Service.

Participate in professional development, clinical supervision and continuing professional development activities to maintain professional registration and specialist expertise.

Protecting children, young people or adults at risk is a core responsibility of all council employees.

The council’s Hybrid Working Policy applies to this post. This provides a framework for establishing how you will undertake working hours between your home and the office.

An Enhanced with Childrens Barred list criminal records check by the Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) is a requirement for this post.

A valid driving licence is requirement for this post.