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Somerset NHS Foundation Trust

Art Therapist

The closing date is 17 February 2026

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Job summary

We are looking for a highly skilled and compassionate Art Therapist (Band 7) to join our Community Mental Health Service in South Somerset. You will provide a specialist Art Therapy assessment and treatment service for adults with severe, enduring, and often complex mental health difficulties. Many of the individuals you support may present with challenging psychological needs, trauma histories, and high levels of emotional distress.

Working as part of a multi disciplinary team, you will deliver patient led therapeutic interventions, provide expert consultancy to colleagues, and contribute to the development of our psychologically informed community service. The role sits within a progressive CMHS that works in partnership with Service Users, Voluntary Sector partners, and Community Enterprise, promoting genuinely collaborative and inclusive mental health care.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced and committed Art Therapist who is passionate about delivering high quality, evidence based therapeutic practice.

Main duties of the job

  • Provide specialist Art Therapy assessments and interventions for service users with severe, complex, and enduring mental health needs.
  • Offer patient centred Art Therapy consultancy, support, and advice to CMHS colleagues, including staff working with challenging or complex presentations.
  • Contribute to the development and delivery of training for CMHS staff where required.
  • Deliver or support Art Therapy groups and psychoeducational groups as part of wider service provision.
  • Complete highly specialised risk assessments and formulate safe, collaborative risk management plans.
  • Provide clear, sensitive communication to service users, families, and carers, including written and verbal reports.
  • Work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams, voluntary sector partners, and community organisations.
  • Maintain high standards of professional practice, ethical conduct, and CPD in accordance with HCPC and BAAT frameworks.
  • Participate in clinical governance, audit, and service development activity.
  • Provide clinical supervision to Art Therapy trainees and colleagues, where required.

About us

At Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, we're committed to supporting our employees with a range of benefits designed to enhance your professional and personal life. We offer:

  • Flexible working options to help you balance work and life
  • NHS pension scheme for long-term financial security
  • Generous annual leave allowance to recharge and relax
  • A strong focus on career development to help you grow and achieve your potential

Additionally, you'll gain access to our Blue Light Card, unlocking exclusive discounts on shopping, dining, and leisure activities, as well as NHS-specific perks to support you both inside and outside of work.

We are proud to foster a diverse, skilled, and inclusive workforce, and we encourage applications from all backgrounds.

Why Somerset? Somerset offers the perfect blend of idyllic countryside, outstanding areas of natural beauty, and breathtaking coastlines, with vibrant cities like Bristol, Bath, and Exeter just a short drive away - and only two hours to London.

The region is home to excellent educational facilities, and with affordable housing compared to other parts of the country, it's a great place to build both your career and your future.

Somerset truly has it all - the peaceful countryside and cosmopolitan city life, with something for everyone to enjoy.

Details

Date posted

03 February 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£47,810 to £54,710 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

184-OL-GR-4097

Job locations

Summerlands

56 Preston Road

Yeovil

Somerset

BA20 2BN


Job description

Job responsibilities

Specialist Clinical Practice

Deliver a highly specialised Art Therapy service, providing assessment, formulation, and treatment for individuals with complex mental health presentations, including trauma, personality disorder, complex PTSD, OCD, or psychosis.

Use advanced therapeutic skills to work effectively with emotional distress, hostility, ambivalence, and challenging interpersonal dynamics.

Tailor Art Therapy interventions to meet the cultural, developmental, and linguistic needs of diverse service users, including the use of interpreters where required.

Consultancy, Advice, and Training

Provide specialist case consultancy to CMHS staff managing complex clients.

Share Art Therapy formulations and recommendations in accessible and meaningful language.

Contribute to the design and delivery of training within the CMHS and wider service when required.

Communication & Collaborative Working

Communicate highly sensitive, complex information to service users and families using advanced interpersonal skills.

Work in partnership with Service Users, Voluntary Sector partners, and Community Enterprise to support collaborative and integrated mental health care.

Participate in multidisciplinary meetings, case discussions, and clinical decisionmaking.

Risk Assessment & Management

Undertake detailed risk assessments and create appropriate risk management plans, including for service users experiencing high levels of selfharm risk or behavioural dysregulation.

Contribute to safe, traumainformed, and recoveryfocused care planning.

Professional Duties

Maintain accurate, timely clinical records, reports, and data in line with service and Trust procedures.

Engage in regular clinical and line management supervision.

Keep uptodate with service developments, legislation, and research relevant to Art Therapy and mental health practice.

Model high professional standards and uphold HCPC/BAAT codes of conduct.

Service Development & Governance

Participate in audit, evaluation, and service improvement projects within CMHS.

Support the implementation of evidencebased interventions and quality standards across the service.

Leadership & Supervision

Provide clinical supervision to Art Therapy trainees or colleagues when required.

Support the clinical development of the local team through sharing best practice, reflective work, and collaborative learning.

Operational Requirements

Manage your own diary, caseload, and clinical priorities effectively.

Support waiting list management and the coordination of referrals when needed.

Travel across Somerset to attend clinical meetings, appointments, or training (full driving licence and access to transport essential).

Job description

Job responsibilities

Specialist Clinical Practice

Deliver a highly specialised Art Therapy service, providing assessment, formulation, and treatment for individuals with complex mental health presentations, including trauma, personality disorder, complex PTSD, OCD, or psychosis.

Use advanced therapeutic skills to work effectively with emotional distress, hostility, ambivalence, and challenging interpersonal dynamics.

Tailor Art Therapy interventions to meet the cultural, developmental, and linguistic needs of diverse service users, including the use of interpreters where required.

Consultancy, Advice, and Training

Provide specialist case consultancy to CMHS staff managing complex clients.

Share Art Therapy formulations and recommendations in accessible and meaningful language.

Contribute to the design and delivery of training within the CMHS and wider service when required.

Communication & Collaborative Working

Communicate highly sensitive, complex information to service users and families using advanced interpersonal skills.

Work in partnership with Service Users, Voluntary Sector partners, and Community Enterprise to support collaborative and integrated mental health care.

Participate in multidisciplinary meetings, case discussions, and clinical decisionmaking.

Risk Assessment & Management

Undertake detailed risk assessments and create appropriate risk management plans, including for service users experiencing high levels of selfharm risk or behavioural dysregulation.

Contribute to safe, traumainformed, and recoveryfocused care planning.

Professional Duties

Maintain accurate, timely clinical records, reports, and data in line with service and Trust procedures.

Engage in regular clinical and line management supervision.

Keep uptodate with service developments, legislation, and research relevant to Art Therapy and mental health practice.

Model high professional standards and uphold HCPC/BAAT codes of conduct.

Service Development & Governance

Participate in audit, evaluation, and service improvement projects within CMHS.

Support the implementation of evidencebased interventions and quality standards across the service.

Leadership & Supervision

Provide clinical supervision to Art Therapy trainees or colleagues when required.

Support the clinical development of the local team through sharing best practice, reflective work, and collaborative learning.

Operational Requirements

Manage your own diary, caseload, and clinical priorities effectively.

Support waiting list management and the coordination of referrals when needed.

Travel across Somerset to attend clinical meetings, appointments, or training (full driving licence and access to transport essential).

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • MA/ MSC Art Therapy / Art Psychotherapy or equivalent
  • AND accredited membership of the relevant body:
  • HCPC BAAT
  • Ability and willingness to train in additional approaches (Mentalisation, EMDR, Compassion Focussed Therapy, Mindfulness, Motivational Interviewing)

Desirable

  • Training or qualification in a recognised model of supervision, or eligibility and willingness to train as a clinical supervisor in Art Therapy

Experience

Essential

  • Significant experience of working in Art Therapy with adults with severe and complex mental health problems

Additional Criteria

Essential

  • Highly developed specialist knowledge across the range of work procedures and practices, underpinned by theoretical knowledge and relevant practical experience of the relevant modality
  • Knowledge of other modalities (e.g. cognitive, psychodynamic, CBT) sufficient to engage appropriately with colleagues and their work with clients.
  • Able to drive within the county of Somerset
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • MA/ MSC Art Therapy / Art Psychotherapy or equivalent
  • AND accredited membership of the relevant body:
  • HCPC BAAT
  • Ability and willingness to train in additional approaches (Mentalisation, EMDR, Compassion Focussed Therapy, Mindfulness, Motivational Interviewing)

Desirable

  • Training or qualification in a recognised model of supervision, or eligibility and willingness to train as a clinical supervisor in Art Therapy

Experience

Essential

  • Significant experience of working in Art Therapy with adults with severe and complex mental health problems

Additional Criteria

Essential

  • Highly developed specialist knowledge across the range of work procedures and practices, underpinned by theoretical knowledge and relevant practical experience of the relevant modality
  • Knowledge of other modalities (e.g. cognitive, psychodynamic, CBT) sufficient to engage appropriately with colleagues and their work with clients.
  • Able to drive within the county of Somerset

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

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

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Summerlands

56 Preston Road

Yeovil

Somerset

BA20 2BN


Employer's website

https://www.somersetft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Summerlands

56 Preston Road

Yeovil

Somerset

BA20 2BN


Employer's website

https://www.somersetft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Hiring Clinical Lead

Rose Pickett

rose.pickett@somersetft.nhs.uk

Details

Date posted

03 February 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£47,810 to £54,710 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

184-OL-GR-4097

Job locations

Summerlands

56 Preston Road

Yeovil

Somerset

BA20 2BN


Supporting documents

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