Job summary

The post holder will be clinically autonomous and responsible for providing a Highly specialist Arts Psychotherapy assessment and treatment service (group and individual), in response to the complex mental health and learning disability needs of male adult secure patients across West Hertfordshire medium and low secure units Many of these will have high levels of emotional and psychological disturbance and will present with serious difficulties including autism/aspergers syndrome, or symptoms of psychotic, anxiety and depressive illnesses, personality or mood disorders suicidal and/or self-harming behaviour. They may also have experienced a history of sexual abuse or trauma through profound loss and may also present with a history of aggression or violence towards others alongside their learning and physical/sensory disabilities.

Main duties of the job

To work autonomously in assessing and treating an agreed caseload of highly complex service users with an offending history, mild Learning disabilities and /or Mental health problems and /or challenging behaviours. To bring highly specialist knowledge in their modality to the assessment and treatment of service users admitted to secure services; to identify the optimum form of treatment for an individual with reference to a range of treatment options within their modality.

Responsible for the effective planning and delivery of their modality within the Arts Psychotherapies Service, in consultation with the Professional Lead of Arts Psychotherapies and Occupational therapy Lead (i) with reference to the philosophy and aims of the team, (ii) in relation to the outcome of assessment, (iii) in line with the service user’s CPA needs and (iv) with attention to ongoing risk assessment.

About us

Our Services

We provide mental health and social care services – including Adults of Working Age, Older Adults, Children and Adolescents and Specialist Learning Disabilities services.

The Trust works in close partnership with Hertfordshire County Council and also with other NHS organisations to promote and support mental health in the community. We also provide specialist learning disability services in Norfolk and North Essex.

The Trust provides:

  • Community Services including local teams for mental health
  • Acute and Rehabilitation Services including inpatient services and crisis team
  • Specialist Services such as mental health services for older people, eating disorders, and our mother and baby unit
  • Learning Disability and Forensic Services

Date posted

27 February 2023

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£41,659 to £47,672 a year pa pro rata +5% of basic salary, min £1136 max £1915

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

367-LD&F-6753-B

Job locations

Warren Court

Woodside Road

Abbots Langley

WD5 0HT

Job description

Job responsibilities

1. To work autonomously in assessing and treating an agreed caseload of highly complex service users with an offending history, mild Learning disabilities and /or Mental health problems and /or challenging behaviours. To bring highly specialist knowledge in their modality to the assessment and treatment of service users admitted to secure services; to identify the optimum form of treatment for an individual with reference to a range of treatment options within their modality.

  1. Responsible for the effective planning and delivery of their modality within the Arts Psychotherapies Service, in consultation with the Professional Lead of Arts Psychotherapies and Occupational therapy Lead (i) with reference to the philosophy and aims of the team, (ii) in relation to the outcome of assessment, (iii) in line with the service users CPA needs and (iv) with attention to ongoing risk assessment.
  1. Analyse and consider a variety of complex risk issues and adapt the treatment to service users level of functioning and needs, considering the individuals overall care-plan, and service aims.
  1. Manages agreed caseload and timetable in response to the changing needs of service users in consultation with the head and team to balance priorities within the team, and within the constraints of their role boundaries assessing issues of risk.
  1. Able to consider and provide a variety of types of work appropriate to service users who may have experiences of trauma and abuse and are at risk to themselves and others. This includes exploratory, reflective, supportive or developmental approaches, individual and group and to modify the work in relation to the service users capacities and functioning.
  1. Uses highly specialist therapy techniques and advanced knowledge of and skills in own modality within restricted physical environments to work with service users who can be poorly motivated and difficult to engage.

Job description

Job responsibilities

1. To work autonomously in assessing and treating an agreed caseload of highly complex service users with an offending history, mild Learning disabilities and /or Mental health problems and /or challenging behaviours. To bring highly specialist knowledge in their modality to the assessment and treatment of service users admitted to secure services; to identify the optimum form of treatment for an individual with reference to a range of treatment options within their modality.

  1. Responsible for the effective planning and delivery of their modality within the Arts Psychotherapies Service, in consultation with the Professional Lead of Arts Psychotherapies and Occupational therapy Lead (i) with reference to the philosophy and aims of the team, (ii) in relation to the outcome of assessment, (iii) in line with the service users CPA needs and (iv) with attention to ongoing risk assessment.
  1. Analyse and consider a variety of complex risk issues and adapt the treatment to service users level of functioning and needs, considering the individuals overall care-plan, and service aims.
  1. Manages agreed caseload and timetable in response to the changing needs of service users in consultation with the head and team to balance priorities within the team, and within the constraints of their role boundaries assessing issues of risk.
  1. Able to consider and provide a variety of types of work appropriate to service users who may have experiences of trauma and abuse and are at risk to themselves and others. This includes exploratory, reflective, supportive or developmental approaches, individual and group and to modify the work in relation to the service users capacities and functioning.
  1. Uses highly specialist therapy techniques and advanced knowledge of and skills in own modality within restricted physical environments to work with service users who can be poorly motivated and difficult to engage.

Person Specification

KNOWLEDGE, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE

Essential

  • Honours degree in relevant subject and relevant work experience
  • Masters level, or equivalent, in art/music/drama therapy
  • Minimum of 2 years post qualifying professional experience and a demonstrable knowledge of and commitment to best practice and evidence based practice.
  • Registered with Health and Care Professions council (HCPC)
  • Experience of working within MDTs.
  • Evidence of continued professional development.

Desirable

  • Experience of supervising arts psychotherapists and of liaison with university training courses, in own speciality and other specialist areas

AREAS OF EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE

Essential

  • Experience of providing a range of highly specialist therapeutic interventions including: assessment, inpatient and outpatient work, individual and group work, exploratory and supportive
  • Experience of working with people with a range of mental health problems including: a degree of personality disorder
  • Experience of working with people with Learning Disabilities
  • Good organisational skills including management of systems and personnel.
  • Developed skills in clinical supervision of trainee arts psychotherapists and junior staff

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Essential

  • Ability to communicate effectively in a highly emotive atmosphere, to overcome patients’ psychological resistance to personal disclosure and potentially threatening information, e.g. child protection and self harm
  • Good communication skills: verbal & written, including presentations
  • Ability to interact with a number of teams within a highly complex organisation of Forensic services
  • Computer competency, including knowledge of electronic care records, email, word processing and audit tools.

ANALYTICAL SKILLS

Essential

  • Highly developed specialist knowledge of and skills in assessing clients for arts psychotherapies and/or other treatment interventions, including risk assessment and contributing to diagnosis
  • Highly developed skills in the application of psychodynamic formulations and theory to work with individuals, groups and teams

DIVERSITY

Essential

  • Knowledge of and skill in considering differences and equalities in both therapy and professional relationships with reference to age, disability, culture, race and religion, sexual orientation and gender.

PHYSICAL SKILLS

Essential

  • Ability to organise and move physical resources required for delivering therapy
  • Ability to complete full Respect training
  • Car driver (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010 which prevents you from driving)

PHYSICAL EFFORT

Essential

  • Community post and post holder will be expected to travel within Hertfordshire as required

MENTAL EFFORT

Essential

  • Regular requirement to concentration, frequency and consequences of interruptions. Include if the patient group has limited understanding or challenging behaviour

EMOTIONAL EFFORT

Essential

  • Regular requirement to deal with distressing or emotionally charged situations.
Person Specification

KNOWLEDGE, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE

Essential

  • Honours degree in relevant subject and relevant work experience
  • Masters level, or equivalent, in art/music/drama therapy
  • Minimum of 2 years post qualifying professional experience and a demonstrable knowledge of and commitment to best practice and evidence based practice.
  • Registered with Health and Care Professions council (HCPC)
  • Experience of working within MDTs.
  • Evidence of continued professional development.

Desirable

  • Experience of supervising arts psychotherapists and of liaison with university training courses, in own speciality and other specialist areas

AREAS OF EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE

Essential

  • Experience of providing a range of highly specialist therapeutic interventions including: assessment, inpatient and outpatient work, individual and group work, exploratory and supportive
  • Experience of working with people with a range of mental health problems including: a degree of personality disorder
  • Experience of working with people with Learning Disabilities
  • Good organisational skills including management of systems and personnel.
  • Developed skills in clinical supervision of trainee arts psychotherapists and junior staff

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Essential

  • Ability to communicate effectively in a highly emotive atmosphere, to overcome patients’ psychological resistance to personal disclosure and potentially threatening information, e.g. child protection and self harm
  • Good communication skills: verbal & written, including presentations
  • Ability to interact with a number of teams within a highly complex organisation of Forensic services
  • Computer competency, including knowledge of electronic care records, email, word processing and audit tools.

ANALYTICAL SKILLS

Essential

  • Highly developed specialist knowledge of and skills in assessing clients for arts psychotherapies and/or other treatment interventions, including risk assessment and contributing to diagnosis
  • Highly developed skills in the application of psychodynamic formulations and theory to work with individuals, groups and teams

DIVERSITY

Essential

  • Knowledge of and skill in considering differences and equalities in both therapy and professional relationships with reference to age, disability, culture, race and religion, sexual orientation and gender.

PHYSICAL SKILLS

Essential

  • Ability to organise and move physical resources required for delivering therapy
  • Ability to complete full Respect training
  • Car driver (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010 which prevents you from driving)

PHYSICAL EFFORT

Essential

  • Community post and post holder will be expected to travel within Hertfordshire as required

MENTAL EFFORT

Essential

  • Regular requirement to concentration, frequency and consequences of interruptions. Include if the patient group has limited understanding or challenging behaviour

EMOTIONAL EFFORT

Essential

  • Regular requirement to deal with distressing or emotionally charged situations.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab) .

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab) .

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Additional information

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab) .

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab) .

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).