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Job summary

Main area
Art Therapist
Grade
Band 7
Contract
12 months (Fixed Term)
Hours
Part time - 15 hours per week
Job ref
222-SF-671
Employer
West London NHS Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
St Bernard's
Town
Southall
Salary
£53,751 - £60,651 Per Annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
11/08/2025 23:59

Employer heading

West London NHS Trust logo

Art therapist

Band 7

West London NHS Trust  provides a full range of mental health, community  and physical healthcare services for children, adults and older people living in the London boroughs of Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham and Hounslow.

We also provide some specialist services that are commissioned regionally, such as our medium secure services; and nationally, such as the Cassel Hospital for people with complex and severe personality disorder and our high secure services at Broadmoor Hospital.

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an Art Therapist to cover a fixed term, (12 month) post in the West London Forensic Service (WLFS). The post will be 2 days per week (0.4 wte) for 1 year, beginning in October/November 2025.

West London Forensic Service provides secure care and forensic community teams for male and female service-users, who have complex needs related to serious mental illness, personality disorder and offending behaviour, and we are committed to providing high quality, evidence based interventions within a recovery framework.

The role will be based in a small but dedicated arts therapies team. You will be provided with regular support and supervision as well as the opportunity to have contact with a wider network of arts therapists, psychotherapists and psychologists working across the West London Specialist Forensic Services to share learning and ideas. In addition, you will be part of the weekly arts therapies department meeting which involves peer supervision and peer directed training. There are also many opportunities to work jointly with Psychology, Psychotherapy, Family Therapists and the Drug and Alcohol Support Service. 

Main duties of the job

As the post holder you will one of two qualified art therapists in the forensic service, you will provide art therapy to service users in the inpatient service, both male and female, including a specialist ward for women with intellectual disabilities, autism and complex communication needs. You will deliver group and individual art therapy and assessments as required, as well as contributing to consultation work with service users in the inpatient service and the community. 

The post will also include liaising with multidisciplinary staff and contributing to the electronic case records for service users. 

The work here is challenging and rewarding and often includes tailoring our interventions to meet the complex needs of our service-users.

You will have the opportunity to utilise skills in research, service evaluation, and audit within the service.

Working for our organisation

West London NHS Trust is one of the most diverse healthcare providers in the UK, delivering a range of mental health and physical healthcare and community services. The Trust runs Broadmoor Hospital, one of three high secure hospitals in the country, with an international reputation.

Our high secure services care for patients from South of England and we provide low and medium secure services across eight London boroughs. The Trust also provides mental and physical healthcare in three London boroughs (Ealing, Hounslow and   Hammersmith & Fulham).  We employ over 5,000 staff, of whom 59% are BME. Our turnover for 2024-25 is over £500m.


The Trust is rated as ‘Good’ overall by the Care Quality Commission. Forensic services are rated as ‘Outstanding’.


The Trust is an established partner and contributor in the development of the evolving North West London Integrated Care System and the Integrated Care Board. The Trust leads the NW London Children and Adolescent Mental Health provider collaborative.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The Candidate Pack provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required. Please view as attached

The person specification below is not the full person specification, but outlines the criteria against which your application form will be assessed.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Art Therapy MA/MSC or equivalent
  • Registration with HCPC
  • Meet conditions of full membership to BAAT
Desirable criteria
  • Evidence of further post qualification training in psychological therapy techniques

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Experience of working as an art therapist for a minimum of one year in a clinical setting or equivalent
  • Experience of working with people with disturbed and challenging behaviour
  • Experience of setting up and managing own clinical caseload including individual and group clinical work.
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of setting up and managing own clinical caseload including individual and group clinical work.
  • Experience of working in an arts therapies team.

Knowledge/skills

Essential criteria
  • Specialist professional knowledge acquired through MA/MSC or equivalent level, plus specialist short courses, CPD, clinical supervision
  • High level of communication skills verbal and written
  • Ability to think strategically
  • Able to provide and receive highly complex, sensitive or highly contentious information, where there are significant barriers to acceptance which need to be overcome using the highest level of interpersonal and communication skills, such as would be required when communicating in a hostile, antagonistic or highly emotive atmosphere.
Desirable criteria
  • Knowledge of legislation and its implications for clinical practice in relation to the client group and forensic setting

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Fair Train work experience quality standard - gold standardNo smoking policyPositive about disabled peopleJob share policyInvestors in PeopleDefence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - BronzeArmed Forces Covenant

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.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Vickie LeSache
Job title
Head Art Therapist
Email address
[email protected]
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