Job summary
- Main area
- Art Psychotherapist
- Grade
- Band 7
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Part time - 30 hours per week
- Job ref
- 277-8308733-CYP
- Employer
- Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Bexley CAMHS
- Town
- Erith
- Salary
- £55,524 - £62,652 Per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 25/10/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Art Psychotherapist
Band 7
Job overview
To work as part of Blossom Team in Bexley CAMHS. Team members also provide consultation, advice and support to professionals and carers involved with the young people. To assess clients with complex 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 work as part of the CAMHS duty rota undertaking triage calls, telephone risk assessments and safety planning. To act as a care co-ordinator for approximately half of the postholder’s caseload. To undertake CAMHS initial assessments assessing the mental health needs of children and young people with a wide range of presentations and make recommendations regarding suitability for CAMHS and appropriate evidence-based treatment pathways. To provide specialist advice and clinical supervision for other professionals, colleagues or trainees as needed. The post holder will show proof of commitment to continuing professional development.
Main duties of the job
To work independently, contributing to the continued design and development of the specialist clinical Art therapy service for clients within Bexley CAMHS.
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 care plans and reports to make recommendations and provide 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.
Working for our organisation
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, children’s centres, schools and people’s homes.
We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary’s 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 providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.
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:
- We’re Kind
- We’re Fair
- We Listen
- We Care
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
To be responsible for managing own clinical caseload and workload.
To contribute to the multidisciplinary team in planning, implementing and evaluating treatment.
To assist in recruitment of staff, which may include short listing and interviewing new staff.
Demonstrate profession to new employees and advise less experienced staff as required.
To take part in nonclinical risk assessments of safe areas and art materials. Manage these effectively and safely. To order art materials and manage the Art Psychotherapy clinical space ensuring there is a confidential storage and records system for client’s artwork. Ensure the safe use of equipment by all staff and clients who use the space.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- MA in Art Psychotherapy
- State registration to the Health Professions Council (HCPC)
- Knowledge of legislation and its implications for clinical practice and professional management in relation to relevant field and client diagnosis.
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of working with a variety of client groups presenting with a range of clinical diversity including acute wards and community.
- Experience of working autonomously and organising own client case load and timetable.
- Experience of teaching and holding workshops with colleagues in other professions to further understanding and scope of Art Psychotherapy
Desirable criteria
- Experience of liaising with other professionals and organising client treatment programmes.
skills/ability/knowledge
Essential criteria
- To have excellent interpersonal, observational skills and communicate complex information to clients, relatives and other professionals involved in client care.
- To work effectively and in a meaningful way with clients with learning difficulties, behavioural and mental health problems and liaise with carers.
- To be computer literate in line with trust standards. To be able/willing to learn power point for presentations
- To display excellent planning skills, booking appointments, prioritising client waiting list as to need, arranging group meetings and organising workload autonomously.
Desirable criteria
- To have required skills for assessing clinical/non clinical risks and suitability of clients for Art therapy treatment program and other therapies. To arrange discharge and follow up treatment as required
- To work autonomously within Art Therapy code of practise and professional guidelines. Required to interpret Art Therapy policies within specialised service.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Application numbers
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Lillian Shipton
- Job title
- Senior Art Therapist
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 020 3260 5200
- Additional information
Friday Mark, Team Manager, 020 3260 5200
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