Consultant Art Therapist, Head of Art Therapy | Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust; London; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS foundation trust in London is seeking an innovative Head of Art Therapy to enhance Art Therapy and psychological services. The role involves clinical leadership, training staff, and ensuring high standards of patient care. A postgraduate qualification in Art Therapy and extensive clinical experience are essential. Join a diverse team committed to delivering exceptional psychological care.

Benefits

Regular professional supervision

Ongoing career development

Supportive work environment

Qualifications

• Extensive clinical experience at the consultant level.
• Ability to enhance therapy services and train staff.
• Commitment to delivering evidence-based care.

Responsibilities

• Shape the future of psychological therapy services.
• Develop and deliver Art Therapy initiatives.
• Lead training for staff and supervise clinical practice.

Skills

Clinical leadership

Service development

Psychological therapy expertise

Supervision skills

Education

Postgraduate qualification in Art Therapy

Job description

We are seeking an innovative Head of Art Therapy with extensive clinical experience to join our service at the consultant level. This pivotal role will contribute to the ongoing development of Art Therapy and psychological therapies across our Trust.

As a Consultant Art Therapist, you will play a crucial role in shaping the future of Oxleas' psychological therapy services, demonstrating leadership in clinical practice, service development, supervision, training, and management. Your expertise will be vital in enhancing the quality and reach of our services, ensuring the delivery of evidence-based care to our service users, their families, and support networks. You will also develop and support training for staff working with service users’ support networks, including families and carers.

Oxleas is committed to supporting and developing staff. You will receive regular clinical and professional supervision and be supported to develop your clinical and leadership skills as part of your ongoing professional career development.

Oxleas has a strong commitment to Psychological Therapies. The Director of Therapies, Neil Springham (Art Therapist), holds a Board-level decision-making role, emphasizing the importance of psychological therapies within the Trust.

Our organization has an excellent reputation as a workplace, being listed as one of The Sunday Times’ top ten large organizations to work for in 2025, and winner of the 2023 HSJ Trust of the Year Award. We value our culturally diverse workforce and shared values of kindness, fairness, and caring. Psychological Therapy services are highly regarded within the wider Trust, with our Chief of Therapies, Neil Springham, being a full member of the Trust Board alongside Medical and Nursing Chief Officers.

This role will collaborate with a respected professional leadership team, including senior Psychological Therapy and AHP colleagues within the Therapies directorate, and benefit from peer support from Consultant Lead Psychological Therapists across the directorates. You will focus on developing and delivering Art Therapy across the Trust and providing clinical input to our Bexley AMH community teams.

You will lead Art Therapy initiatives, foster a supportive environment respecting diverse perspectives, and implement innovative approaches to maintain high standards of patient care.

If you believe you possess the qualities we seek, we encourage you to apply and contribute to our vision of delivering exceptional psychological care.

Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services across community and secure environments, including community health, mental health care, and services for people with learning disabilities. Our multidisciplinary teams serve people of all ages across over 125 sites in the South of England, including hospitals, clinics, prisons, and community settings.

Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families, guided by our values: We’re Kind, We’re Fair, We Listen, We Care.

Further details about the role and responsibilities can be found in the attached documentation.

This advert closes on Monday 18 Aug 2025.