Art Therapist

Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust; Lichfield; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

An esteemed NHS trust in the UK is looking for a dedicated Art Therapist to join their Community Learning Disability Team in Lichfield. The successful candidate will provide specialized therapeutic interventions for individuals with learning disabilities, engaging in multi-disciplinary collaboration to enhance quality of life. This position requires a Master's in Art Psychotherapy and experience working with complex mental health needs. Join a supportive community committed to improving services and outcomes for individuals with learning disabilities.

Benefits

Ongoing training and support

Working in a supportive team

Qualifications

• Experience of working therapeutically with service users with a learning disability.
• Ability to work within a multi-disciplinary team.
• Evidence of post-qualifying continuing professional development.

Responsibilities

• Provide art psychotherapy interventions for people with learning disabilities.
• Collaborate with the multi-disciplinary team.
• Participate in shared clinical coordination.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Ability to engage clients

Knowledge of complex behavioral needs

Skills in risk assessment

Education

MA in Art Psychotherapy

BA Honours in Fine Art or related subject

Full Registration with BAAT/ACP

Full Registration with HCPC

Job description

Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Art Therapist

The closing date is 16 February 2026

This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship. If it is identified that you require sponsorship to undertake this role your application may be withdrawn

We are seeking a highly motivated, person centred individual with excellent communication skills to work with us in our well established Community Learning Disability Team.

We aim to provide high quality, community based, integrated services for adults with learning disabilities. As such, we are seeking a specialist Art Therapist with a passion for working within and improving learning disability services.

You will have experience of working therapeutically with people with learning disabilities in a variety of settings and of working with people who have complex mental and/or physical health needs, autism and complex behavioural needs. You will be an experienced therapist who relishes multi-disciplinary and multi-agency working, who can work creatively to secure good outcomes and embrace new ways of working. An active interest in academic research is also highly desirable.

The Team are clinically and professionally supportive, pro-psychology and provide frequent opportunities for creative and collaborative joint working. MDT colleagues include nurses, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and psychiatry. You will be an important member of the MDT.

Main duties of the job

JOB PURPOSE:

You will work County-wide across South Staffordshire with a base a St George's Hospital Stafford. MPFT is embracing blended ways of working, combining face-to-face work with service users alongside the use of digital platforms (as appropriate).

You will be a member of the multi-disciplinary team and will provide specific psychotherapeutic interventions in the form of art therapy to South Staffordshire's CLDT. This will involve individual, group and family work. Interventions will help to improve quality of life and psychological wellbeing. Interventions will also reduce the risk of placement breakdown, use of restrictive practices and/or admissions to mental health settings due to mental health needs.

You will be a resource for the whole team in relation to creative therapeutic interventions/approaches including working with people who can be difficult to engage.

In addition to clients assessed as requiring art therapy, the post holder may also undertake generic initial assessment for the CLDT and participate in a shared clinical coordination rota (duty calls and processing referrals).

This role will have training, supervision and leadership responsibilities where appropriate and some responsibility for service developments/ improvements.

Supervision and support will be available from a senior clinician of an appropriate discipline within the LD team or wider Specialist Care Group as appropriate plus specialist clinical supervision from an Art Therapist.

About us

Come and work with us at our award-winning NHS Trust, leading the way for trying new and better ways of working to help improve life for our local communities.

We have around 9,000 staff who provide physical and mental healthcare, support for people with learning disabilities, and adult social care across Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Shropshire, and Telford & Wrekin. We also run regional and national services, including help for new parents (perinatal care), eating disorders, forensic services, sexual health, and support for people in prison with mental health, drug, or alcohol problems.

We offer great career development for both clinical and non-clinical roles, with ongoing training and support to help you learn and grow.

We are 'United in our Uniqueness' and committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels welcome and can be themselves, no matter their background or identity. We want our staff to feel supported and valued, and we aim to build a team that reflects the communities we serve. Together, we can make sure every voice is heard, and every difference is respected.

Please note, we may be required to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications

Please be aware that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in completing application forms will be monitored to ensure fairness and transparency. If you have used AI you must state this in your application.

Job responsibilities

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: Provide assessment and art psychotherapy interventions for people with a learning disability (individual and group therapy). People may be hard to treat, and difficult to engage in other forms of psychological treatment. Responsible for providing advice and guidance on art therapy and creative methods of assessment and treatment to other members of the multi-disciplinary team. Occasionally provides assessment and advice for service-users expressing thoughts of self-harm or experiencing high levels of emotional distress. Participation in shared clinical coordinator role in team processing referrals and taking duty calls. The provision of consultation, specialised advice, case support, clinical supervision and training are important ongoing elements of this post. Participate in intake assessment meetings when required. Prepare reports, summaries and letters to relevant parties within the limits of professional confidentiality.

Person Specification

Qualifications & Training

• MA in Art Psychotherapy.
• BA Honours in Fine Art or related subject with demonstration to commitment to established practice of art.
• Full Registration with BAAT/ACP.
• Full Registration with HCPC.
• Evidence of post-qualifying continuing professional development relevant to in one or more additional specialised areas of psychotherapeutic practice or psychological treatment. E.g. Psychodynamic Counselling therapy.

Experience

• Experience of working therapeutically with services users with a learning disability and with people on the autistic continuum; including those presenting with behavioural needs which challenges services.
• Working as part of a multi-disciplinary team, seeing service users presenting with a wide variety of mental health and behavioural needs in a range of settings.
• Experience of working with other professionals and agencies related to mental health and wellbeing.
• Experience of working with carers and families.
• Adhering to appropriate best practice and professional guidance as a qualified clinician.
• Experience of providing student placements.
• Research and development.
• Quality and service improvement and evaluation.

Skills, Knowledge & Abilities

• Up to date knowledge of relevant practice, guidelines and developments.
• Understanding of complex behavioural needs, people on the autistic continuum, and with people with complex mental health difficulties including complex trauma.
• Ability to develop and communicate well-reasoned clinical formulations, assessments and care-plans.
• Awareness of local and national developments, protocols and policies relevant to learning disabilities and autism, including DSR processes, CTR/CETR & LAEPs, the MHA and MCA.
• Experience and knowledge relating to evidence-based practice.
• Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing, highly technical, and clinically sensitive information to service users, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS, including Child Protection and Adult Safeguarding.
• Well-developed skills in risk assessment and risk management including skills to prevent, de-escalate and manage verbal and physical aggression from service users on a day to day basis.
• Ability to engage hostile and reluctant clients.
• Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.

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.

Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Friary Centre Lichfield / Flanagan Centre Stafford

Friary Centre Lichfield / Flanagan Centre Stafford