Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Art Therapist

The closing date is 11 August 2025

Job summary

Job Overview

This role will be responsible for supporting the leadership of the arts therapy provision across the division, by ensuring relevant clinical supervision is provided to staff, standards of service provision are set, monitored and maintained and that people, who use the service, and their carers, are involved in the service in the way they wish to be. This role will deliver high quality art therapy assessments, interventions and consultation within specialised services.

The job will be within our Learning Disabilities Health Services and provision evenly split across the East and West CTPLD's.The postholder will be expected to work flexibly within all the learning disabilities health services, as need arises.

Main duties of the job

To administer and run the art therapy service for the learning diability division, as part of a team of trust Arts Therapists. This post covers East and West Surrey and North East Hampshire. The post will be evenly split across the East and West Community Leaning Disability Teams.

About us

Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is the leading provider of mental health, learning disability, neurodevelopmental and drug and alcohol services in Surrey and North East Hampshire. We support people of all ages and are passionate about providing high quality care that is delivered at the right time as close to home as possible to help people recover and stay well.

We are one of the top 10 mental Health, Learning Disability and Community Trust to work for nationwide. Our Trust is an inclusive and supportive employer that offers a wide range of staff networks, flexible working, free parking and excellent health and wellbeing support. We also provide a wide range of opportunities to help staff develop and progress.

Surrey is a beautiful county lying just 30 minutes away from Central London and from the South Coast. Our historic market towns and bustling districts are enveloped in wonderful countryside, and our excellent road and rail networks bring the rest of the country within easy reach. For international travel, both Gatwick and Heathrow airports are nearby.

Please note that we reserve the right to close posts as soon as sufficient applications are received.

Regrettably, due to UK Home Office requirements we cannot offer sponsorship for all our job roles. If you apply for a role that we cannot offer sponsorship for, unfortunately, your application form will be rejected from the process.

We look forward to receiving your application!

Date posted

29 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£47,810 to £54,710 a year Incl. 5% HCAS ,pa, pro rata.

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

325-7290777-PLD

Job locations

Cassia House

Ludlow Road

Guildford

GU2 7NR

Job description

Job responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

Leadership

To deliver a highly specialist art therapy service (in advanced therapy role) and to oversee its clinical governance.

To contribute to the professional leadership and continued development of Arts Therapies.

To contribute to the supervision and Individual Performance Review/Appraisal of art therapy staff.

To ensure that the healthcare needs of people with learning disabilities are communicated to service commissioners and providers. To positively contribute to divisional developments in relation to art therapy practice.

To advocate and represent the service.

To be responsible for the development and implementation of appropriate policies, protocols and care pathways.

To contribute to appropriate staff recruitment and to the wider strategic plans regarding arts therapy recruitment.

To ensure that the needs of people with protected characteristics are addressed within local services and future developments.

Clinical

To demonstrate highly specialist expertise and specialist art therapy skills in order to develop and maintain skills needed for to maintain psychological wellbeing.

To actively involve people in developing and agreeing their own care plan, to act as an advocate and ensure that there is proper regard for their dignity, choice, self-esteem, racial, cultural, sexual and religious needs and preferences.

To practice within the Positive Support framework.

To undertake comprehensive risk assessments and develop effective risk management plans.

To work in partnership with people who support people with learning disabilities.

To establish and maintain effective relationships with colleagues, other agencies, people who use services and their families.

Professional

To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of clinical work and care. To maintain high standards of care in all areas of practice in accordance with the HCPC Code of Conduct, professional guidelines and Trust Policies and Procedures. To act within the Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act.

To be aware of and implement Safeguarding Adult and Child Protection Policies, Procedures and legislation.

To act as practice assessor/supervisor/teacher in teaching, facilitating and supporting pre-registration students and junior personnel and to participate in the audit of educational placements. To participate in new staff induction.

To research national best practice and enable services to benchmark practice against nationally recognised standards - in partnership with people with learning disabilities.

To participate in developing and conducting clinical audit and research, maintaining current knowledge of research findings and development within the learning disability field.

To lead in quality assurance activities as required.

To develop, implement and monitor interventions driven by government initiatives e.g. Transforming Care, LD Mortality review to promote positive health gains for clients.

Develop and provide a range of specialist teaching/training packages which can be delivered to a range of multi-disciplinary audiences.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

Leadership

To deliver a highly specialist art therapy service (in advanced therapy role) and to oversee its clinical governance.

To contribute to the professional leadership and continued development of Arts Therapies.

To contribute to the supervision and Individual Performance Review/Appraisal of art therapy staff.

To advocate and represent the service.

To be responsible for the development and implementation of appropriate policies, protocols and care pathways.

To contribute to appropriate staff recruitment and to the wider strategic plans regarding arts therapy recruitment.

To ensure that the needs of people with protected characteristics are addressed within local services and future developments.

Clinical

To demonstrate highly specialist expertise and specialist art therapy skills in order to develop and maintain skills needed for to maintain psychological wellbeing.

To practice within the Positive Support framework.

To undertake comprehensive risk assessments and develop effective risk management plans.

To work in partnership with people who support people with learning disabilities.

To establish and maintain effective relationships with colleagues, other agencies, people who use services and their families.

Professional

To be aware of and implement Safeguarding Adult and Child Protection Policies, Procedures and legislation.

To research national best practice and enable services to benchmark practice against nationally recognised standards - in partnership with people with learning disabilities.

To participate in developing and conducting clinical audit and research, maintaining current knowledge of research findings and development within the learning disability field.

To lead in quality assurance activities as required.

To develop, implement and monitor interventions driven by government initiatives e.g. Transforming Care, LD Mortality review to promote positive health gains for clients.

Develop and provide a range of specialist teaching/training packages which can be delivered to a range of multi-disciplinary audiences.

Person Specification

Essential

HCPC registered Arts therapist (art)

Desirable

Additional training relevant to area of work
Additional leadership or management qualification or experience
Experience of working autonomously
Experience of working as part of a multi disciplinary team

Essential

Demonstratable post qualification experience

Person Specification

Essential

HCPC registered Arts therapist (art)

Desirable

Additional training relevant to area of work
Additional leadership or management qualification or experience
Experience of working autonomously
Experience of working as part of a multi disciplinary team

Essential

Demonstratable post qualification experience

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.