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Art Therapist | Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

Posting date:	05 March 2025
Salary:	Not specified
Additional salary information:	£46,148 - £52,809 per annum
Hours:	Full time
Closing date:	04 April 2025
Location:	Runcorn, WA7 5HQ
Company:	Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust
Job type:	Contract
Job reference:	7027927/350-CC7027927

Summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a qualified Art Therapist to join Halton CAMHS (CYPMHS). We are looking to expand our therapy offer to meet the needs of young people and families in Halton and to support those open to our services with the best evidence based interventions.

We work to the Thrive model and this is a needs-led model that sits well within the field of creative therapies to support the needs of the child in a way that is led by them.

This is a fixed-term post although there may be opportunity to expand this offer and this will be continually monitored throughout the year period.

The successful candidate would be expected to:

To take the lead in providing an expert arts therapy/arts psychotherapy service. Which includes the assessment of children and families with complex needs, the recommendation of appropriate therapy and the provision and development of specialist therapeutic input.
To provide specialist advise and consultancy, within all levels of care and at a high level; of professional expertise. To work as an independent specialist within the multi-disciplinary team, to act as the lead professional in the field.
To oversee and manage the provision of arts therapies / arts psychotherapies and related interventions, offering specialist training, clinical supervision and consultation to the both Arts Therapists / Art Psychotherapists and a wide range of professionals.

Works autonomously within the service’s operational policy as appropriate to the specialist qualification, grading and post.
Maintains Arts Therapist (d) status (state registered with HPC) and ensures continuing professional development in maintained in line with the British Association of Drama therapists guidelines.
Undertakes relevant training as required.
Participates in specialist professional supervision from a Principle Arts Therapist to inform the clinical process (once a month); it is a requirement for a practicing Arts Therapist/ Arts Psychotherapist to use this dynamic to reflect thoughtfully on clinical work. This is quite distinct from managerial supervision with occurs once every two months.
Provides specialist advice regarding creative arts therapies to other professional and member of the multi disciplinary team.
Maintains appropriate departmental records and confidential clinical notes. Ensures statistical data are collected in line with Trust and national requirements. Produces reports for other agencies detailing assessment, risk factors and presentation of child or adolescent.
Exercises good personal time management, punctually and consistent, reliable attendance.

Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 1.4 million people across our region and are also commissioned for services that cover the North West, North Wales and the Midlands.

We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.

At the heart of all we do is our commitment to ‘perfect care’ – care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We’re currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so.

Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles.

Undertakes risk assessment and risk management of children and their families or carers. The assessment is continuous throughout therapy. Including the ability to recognise and deal with complex child protection issues and act appropriately in the best interests of the child.
Contributes to complex assessments of children’s abilities, development and areas of specific impairments, such as behaviour, communication and relationship difficulties.
Provide formulations of complex mental health difficulties for children and families.
Assesses the suitability of clients (children / adolescents / families) for specialist clinical intervention. Specifically makes assessment and treatment plans for arts therapy / arts psychotherapy interventions (group / individual / family). Is able to recommend other treatment interventions.
Implements highly specialist therapy input using a creative arts approach tailored to the identified needs of children and their carers, either individually, in family units, or in groups.
Is able to give highly specialised advice to clients, families, referrers, the Multi-Disciplinary team and other professionals
Monitors and evaluates creative arts therapy input with reference to training, professional body and current evidence base.
Provides a specialist consultation service and advice to health, educational and social care staff and delivers training as required.

Co-ordinates multidisciplinary care plans, where appropriate and communicates effectively with all involved.
Organises and manages own caseload and provision of competencies. Acts as keyworker for clients, plans and organises clinical and non-clinical services.
Maintains arts therapy room/equipment. Ensures that his meets health and safety requirements. Plans expenditure, organises the choice and acquisition of new items, replenishes stock within the department.
Required for prolonged periods or to engage in active physical activity within sessions. Manoeuvres therapy equipment including play materials such as heavy sand / clay to sessions, which may be conducted at venues away from the clinic base. This may also necessitate moving furniture to set up rooms that are not dedicated to arts therapies/arts psychotherapies.
Requirement for prolonged in depth concentration in therapy sessions and assessments and also interrupted patterns of mental concentration.


This advert closes on Sunday 16 Mar 2025