Job summary
We have an exciting opportunity for an Arts Therapist (Dance, Music, Art or Drama) to join our team. The successful candidate will be responsible for planning, providing, and developing specialist therapeutic interventions, including assessment, treatment, and evaluation of individual and group work using their chosen Arts Therapies modality (Music or Dance Movement) across our tri-borough older adults inpatient services.
Main duties of the job
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To co-facilitate specialist Arts Therapies including assessment, treatment and evaluation of individual and group work on the wards, including involving family members where appropriate.
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To ensure specialist knowledge forms an integral part of people's care plans.
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To evaluate work on an ongoing basis with an emphasis on using appropriate service user reported experience and outcome measures to measure and demonstrate effectiveness.
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To provide a range of teaching and training to multi-professional staff, service users and carers as required.
About us
Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive - so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.
Job description
Job responsibilities
To develop and provide a specialist Arts Therapy assessment and treatment service to adults with complex needs and/or dementia employing the following specialist skills:
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To plan and prioritise a service user caseload as defined under supervision from a senior Arts Therapist.
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To develop skills to undertake specialised Arts Therapy assessments referring on, where appropriate.
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To be responsible for maintaining, on service users behalf, an appropriate, contained, creative therapeutic environment.
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To develop skills in managing difficult and demanding clinical situations including exploring complex and sensitive personal issues in both group and one to one contexts with service users with acute needs.
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To deal with conflict and resolve difficulties arising for service users in clinical interventions.
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To plan and deliver recovery focused interventions in conjunction with the MDT ensuring regular evaluation of service user care plans.
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To assess service users mental state and identify any significant risk factors and to collaboratively undertake risk assessments with other professionals.
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To attend clinical meetings/ CPA meetings, contribute clinical information on service users progress and arrange clinical review meetings, where necessary.
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To apply clinical knowledge and skills in one to one and group interventions with service users with complex needs, including brief, medium and long-term work.
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To ensure that all interventions are documented in the service users clinical record.
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To take up clinical group supervision/consultation.
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To produce clinical reports and disseminate to other involved professionals, agencies and the service user, as appropriate
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To evaluate effectiveness of interventions, in conjunction with service users/carers, other professionals.
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To apply evidence based practice and keep up to date with developments in one's specialist field of Arts Therapy in mental health and dementia care.
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To promote and apply equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory interventions that respect the service users customs, values and spiritual beliefs at all times.
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To ensure that any service user complaints or incidents are reported accurately and investigated appropriately, making clinical team members aware.
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To take a lead on designated projects with senior support.
Person Specification
Education/qualification/training
Essential
- MA (or equivalent) in an Arts Therapies Modality
- Degree in relevant area
- Registration with HCPC (Art, Music or Drama therapists) OR
- Evidence of working towards UKCP (Dance Movement therapists)
Desirable
- Further training in an area of psychological practice relevant to the role
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working as an Arts therapist with older adults, people with dementia and their families
- Experience of working as an Arts therapist in a multi-disciplinary team
- Post qualification experience as an Arts therapist working with the client group that this post is linked to, in both individual and group work
- Experience of working with Service Users with secondary care mental health needs, including challenging behaviour
- Experience of assessing service users and making recommendations to a multi-disciplinary team
- Experiences of service development, innovation or quality improvement relevant to Arts Therapies provision
Desirable
- Experience of providing teaching and training regarding Arts Therapies to a variety of audiences
- Experience of running reflective practice sessions for other disciplines e.g. nursing, OT
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Knowledge and skills relating to the support needs of older adults with complex mental health difficulties and/or dementia in acute and community settings
- Knowledge of The Mental Health Act, The mental Capacity Act, and the NHS long term plan as it applies to people with complex mental health needs and/or dementia
- Knowledge of Arts Therapies research and literature relevant to post
- Knowledge of the needs and rights of service users and / or carers in planning and service development
- Well-developed ability to share and disseminate psychological formulations with other professional groups to benefit care planning
- Well-developed interpersonal skills enabling therapeutic alliances to be developed and maintained with clients
Desirable
- Line management of more junior staff
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).
Employer details
Employer name
East London NHS Foundation Trust
Address
East Ham Care Centre
Shrewsbury Road
London
E7 8QR
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.elft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)
This listing was aggregated from publicly-available sources. The employer holds an A-rated sponsor licence at the time of this listing, but sponsorship of this specific role is not guaranteed — the employer's offer and UK Visas and Immigration are the final authority. Details may have changed since our last update — verify with the employer via the Apply link.