Job summary
Are you interested in working with personality disorder and assisting teams to support women with complex needs? We are seeking an Arts Psychotherapist to join our 'Options' Offender Personality Disorder Team at HMP Downview (a female prison based in Sutton, Surrey). Options is a treatment and support service running primarily modified forensic DBT Programmes, offering treatment for service users who have been identified on the PD Pathway. Additionally, we offer stability outreach work for those in crisis, social creative groups and 1:1 trauma processing therapy. To staff we offer training, consultation and formulation services primarily to our probation and prison colleagues who work alongside us to support and progress women safely through their sentence plan, in preparation for their move into the community.
You will have experience in working within teams, within multi-agency settings. Individual and/or Group treatment expertise within the field of Personality Disorder or other complex need is essential. Expertise in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy is desirable (DBT training can be provided). You will be joining an enthusiastic and committed team. The service is part of the national Offender Personality Disorder pathway and supports access to local and national training and networking. We are closely linked to our local mental health team and the post holder would be linked in with the Health & Justice Lead Arts Psychotherapist and other Arts therapists within CNWL.
Main duties of the job
To deliver Modified Forensic Dialectic Behavioural Therapy to women screened into the OPD pathway, this will include individual and group-based treatment. To attend and take part in weekly DBT consultation meetings and adhere to DBT principles.
To support and deliver in the development of therapy within the Options service and co-facilitate social creative sessions, gender specific specialist arts psychotherapies service for adults, adapting your approach to ensure inclusion of those who are hard to engage owing to complex needs such as current risk or self-harm and/or violence, cognitive difficulties, emotional withdrawal and psychological disturbance.
To undertake delivery of individual and group therapy including social creative sessions, outreach support and stabilisation with prisoners at HMP Downview as directed.
To develop individual formulations and applying theoretical models of the psychology of mental health and personality disorder and offending, to observed behaviour, cognitive, emotional and interpersonal patterns, for service users who present with complex clinical needs.
To provide clinical supervision to the team's psychological therapists, Assistant Psychologists and trainees and other members of the team when appropriate.
To work autonomously within professional guidelines and the overall framework of the service's policies and procedures.
About us
Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust is a Top Employer Award Winner and works in partnership to provide responsive and dependable primary care, mental health, intellectual disability and substance misuse services to the diverse and culturally rich communities we serve.
By joining CNWL's Health & Justice Directorate you will be joining a large department of psychologists and psychological therapists that provide a variety of mental health and OPD services across prisons, the youth estate, secure hospitals and the community. Our staff are dynamic and welcoming and the networking and CPD opportunities are central to our services ethos. We have active research forums and promote our services and work through academic and clinical forums. All staff receive regular supervision and are supported with career aspirations and progression. All of our sites in Surrey offer free use of the onsite leisure facilities and free parking for staff.
Click here to find out more about working within the psychological professions at CNWL and here to see what our Health & Justice staff say about working within our award winning teams.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see job description and personal specification for full list of responsibilities:
1. To deliver Modified Forensic Dialectic Behavioural Therapy to women screened into the OPD pathway, this will include individual and group based treatment. To attend and take part in weekly DBT consultation meetings and adhere to DBT principles.
2. To support and deliver in the development of therapy within the Options service and co-facilitate social creative sessions, gender specific specialist arts psychotherapies service for adults, adapting your approach to ensure inclusion of those who are hard to engage owing to complex needs such as current risk or self harm and/or violence, cognitive difficulties, emotional withdrawal and psychological disturbance.
3. To asses each patients suitability for arts psychotherapy and to ascertain from the ongoing evaluation / review their ego strength and tolerance of self and others, while working towards the agreed aims of therapy.
4. To assess risk, manage and adopt appropriate measures to maintain a safe and therapeutically sensitive environment for all when faced with challenging behaviour, for example verbal abuse, deliberate self-harm, violence, aggression or threatening behaviour. To contribute to the overall team risk assessment.
5. To provide a service to the women within the OPD service to help them adapt to their environment and minimise distress, deterioration and actual and / or perceived threat they pose to themselves and others around them.
6. To contribute specialist knowledge from arts psychotherapy assessment and treatment to the overall formulation and care plans for each patient through contribution to formulation meetings, reviews, clinical meetings and by providing written summaries.
7. To develop and facilitate a range of individual sessions and therapeutic groups within the Options treatment and outreach model.
8. To work with patients to understand the content and context of their communication using the arts as a focus.
9. To contribute to training and support for custodial colleagues.
10. To support and participate fully in the work of the multidisciplinary team, including attending team meetings and reflective practice.
11. To maintain accurate patient records on SystmOne including clinical record keeping, specialist reports, data-collection and CPA in accordance with relevant national and trust policies.
12. To undertake ongoing evaluation of patients progress and to manage therapy endings and follow up.
13. To contribute to joint assessments and clinical reviews on patients with members of the multidisciplinary team. To write reports and contribute to the writing of reports as required by MDT processes, including as required reviews, Safeguarding meetings and Public Protection meetings.
14. To actively contribute to a culture of reflective practice within the team and beyond, taking a lead in modelling self-reflection and self-awareness in emotionally challenging situations. This could be through co-facilitation of groups or in staff development forums.
15. To support team members from other disciplines in processing the emotional impact of the work through applying skills and knowledge from own personal psychotherapy and drawing on clinical experience and theoretical knowledge to highlight and not collude with potentially destructive mechanisms of defence.
16. To maintain a high degree of professionalism at all times particularly as the clinical work will frequently involve working alone with service users for substantial periods in intimate and emotionally intense therapy sessions, where behaviour might be uninhibited and self care poor.
17. To use sound judgement and interpretative skills to work with the client to understand the content of their engagement and communications and to assess risk.
18. To respond appropriately to situations when there is a threat of physical violence to self or others including florid psychotic symptoms, self-harm and aggressive or threatening behaviour.
19. To carry out this work under the supervision and guidance of a senior clinician of the same discipline, working closely with therapeutically trained professionals and other team members.
20. To ensure own ethical practice by working within ones Professional Associations code of ethics and guidelines for clinical practice and abiding by the Health Care Professions Councils standards of proficiency and conduct and the Trusts Confidentiality policies.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see job description and personal specification for full list of responsibilities:
1. To deliver Modified Forensic Dialectic Behavioural Therapy to women screened into the OPD pathway, this will include individual and group based treatment. To attend and take part in weekly DBT consultation meetings and adhere to DBT principles.
2. To support and deliver in the development of therapy within the Options service and co-facilitate social creative sessions, gender specific specialist arts psychotherapies service for adults, adapting your approach to ensure inclusion of those who are hard to engage owing to complex needs such as current risk or self harm and/or violence, cognitive difficulties, emotional withdrawal and psychological disturbance.
3. To asses each patients suitability for arts psychotherapy and to ascertain from the ongoing evaluation / review their ego strength and tolerance of self and others, while working towards the agreed aims of therapy.
4. To assess risk, manage and adopt appropriate measures to maintain a safe and therapeutically sensitive environment for all when faced with challenging behaviour, for example verbal abuse, deliberate self-harm, violence, aggression or threatening behaviour. To contribute to the overall team risk assessment.
5. To provide a service to the women within the OPD service to help them adapt to their environment and minimise distress, deterioration and actual and / or perceived threat they pose to themselves and others around them.
6. To contribute specialist knowledge from arts psychotherapy assessment and treatment to the overall formulation and care plans for each patient through contribution to formulation meetings, reviews, clinical meetings and by providing written summaries.
7. To develop and facilitate a range of individual sessions and therapeutic groups within the Options treatment and outreach model.
8. To work with patients to understand the content and context of their communication using the arts as a focus.
9. To contribute to training and support for custodial colleagues.
10. To support and participate fully in the work of the multidisciplinary team, including attending team meetings and reflective practice.
11. To maintain accurate patient records on SystmOne including clinical record keeping, specialist reports, data-collection and CPA in accordance with relevant national and trust policies.
12. To undertake ongoing evaluation of patients progress and to manage therapy endings and follow up.
13. To contribute to joint assessments and clinical reviews on patients with members of the multidisciplinary team. To write reports and contribute to the writing of reports as required by MDT processes, including as required reviews, Safeguarding meetings and Public Protection meetings.
14. To actively contribute to a culture of reflective practice within the team and beyond, taking a lead in modelling self-reflection and self-awareness in emotionally challenging situations. This could be through co-facilitation of groups or in staff development forums.
15. To support team members from other disciplines in processing the emotional impact of the work through applying skills and knowledge from own personal psychotherapy and drawing on clinical experience and theoretical knowledge to highlight and not collude with potentially destructive mechanisms of defence.
16. To maintain a high degree of professionalism at all times particularly as the clinical work will frequently involve working alone with service users for substantial periods in intimate and emotionally intense therapy sessions, where behaviour might be uninhibited and self care poor.
17. To use sound judgement and interpretative skills to work with the client to understand the content of their engagement and communications and to assess risk.
18. To respond appropriately to situations when there is a threat of physical violence to self or others including florid psychotic symptoms, self-harm and aggressive or threatening behaviour.
19. To carry out this work under the supervision and guidance of a senior clinician of the same discipline, working closely with therapeutically trained professionals and other team members.
20. To ensure own ethical practice by working within ones Professional Associations code of ethics and guidelines for clinical practice and abiding by the Health Care Professions Councils standards of proficiency and conduct and the Trusts Confidentiality policies.
Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential
- oGood honours degree in art or relevant subject, equivalent performing/work experience
- oMA/MSc or equivalent in art psychotherapy
- oRegistered with the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC) as an art psychotherapist
Desirable
- oOther related academic qualifications
- oClinical supervision training
- oAdvanced keyboard skills
- oTraining in breakaway/de-escalation techniques
- oCulture awareness training
Previous Experience
Essential
- oPost-qualification experience of autonomous working with a relevant client group both in groups and individually
- oExperience of working with people with disturbed and challenging behaviour.
- oSubstantial experience of personal psychotherapy.
- oExperience of assessing patients for an arts psychotherapy and making recommendations to a MDT.
Desirable
- oBeing Sole Arts Therapist in a MDT
- oExperience of negotiating space/therapeutic boundaries in a difficult context
- oEvidence of participation in research
- oExperience of supervising arts psychotherapists (trainee or qualified).
- oExperience of using a trauma informed approach.
- oLived experience of mental health Issues.
- oExperience of working in secure settings, either prison or secure hospitals.
- oExperience of working within a multicultural framework.
Skills & Knowledge
Essential
- oHigh standard of art making and commitment to maintaining skills.
- oSkills in planning, organising and prioritising own workload and in working without the involvement of the team in a particular case Knowledge of and skills in assessing patients for arts psychotherapy balancing risk with client needs and service priorities.
- oKnowledge of evidence based practice, clinical governance and related knowledge for research and audit.
- oKnowledge of legislation and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management in relation to relevant field/s and the full range of client groups
- oKnowledge of current forensic arts psychotherapies research and theories and skills in applying arts psychotherapy theories to work with individuals, groups and organisation
- oEvidence of continuing professional development as required by HCPC.
- oSkills in applying art therapy theories to work with individuals, groups and organisation
- oAbility to work with people with complex needs e.g. aggressive / unstable / suicidal patients, including those with personality disorder or a mixed diagnosis.
- oAbility to work with non-verbal patients or patients for whom using English is a major difficulty which could be for cultural reasons, or due to their mental state.
- oHigh standard of verbal communication skills including the ability to provide concise, clear and relevant feedback to a ward round/team meeting
- oComputer literacy and high standard of documented communication skills including the ability to produce clear typed reports detailing progress of therapy, selecting relevant information from sessions and expressing analytical detail without bias.
- oAbility to treat service users with respect and dignity at all times, adopting a culturally sensitive approach, which considers the needs of the whole person.
- oAbility to build constructive relationships with warmth and empathy, using good communication skills
Desirable
- oExperience of working with multi-disciplinary teams
- oCommitment to and enthusiasm for further training opportunities and CPD
- oTrained to use SystmOne
- oExperienced user of P-NOMIS
Attitudes, aptitudes personal characteristics
Essential
- oAbility to assess risk and be able to work face to face with acutely unwell patients without other staff nearby.
- oHigh degree of self awareness, Arts Therapy training and post-qualifying supervision
- oAbility to work with trauma and contain emotional impact through clinical supervision and team support systems.
- oAbility to work with victim/perpetrators who may have distressing personal histories without colluding or over-identifying.
- oAbility to contain and work with organisational stress and ability to 'hold' the stress of others
- oAbility to adapt to physical environment when dedicated therapy rooms are not available e.g. transporting art materials / equipment / art instruments etc and willingness to manipulate furniture to set up room (within Health and Safety parameters)
Desirable
- oFluent in an additional language
- oAbility to learn from experience
- oAble to provide services in a variety of environments as meets the needs of clients
- oPost qualification personal psychotherapy
Other
Essential
- oAbility to work to professional guidelines.
- oMust be capable of working autonomously with traumatised, severely disturbed, aggressive and/or distressed people for prolonged periods individually and in groups.
- oAbility to travel between sites
- oThe post holder must have the ability to understand and implement the equal opportunities policy at a level appropriate to the job.
- oAbility to promote anti-discriminatory and anti-racist practices.
- oAbility to promote and work in line with the working model of a 7 day a week service
Desirable
- Record of having published in either peer reviewed or academic professional journals and/or books.
- Must demonstrate ability to support the development of the profession through participation in professional bodies and activities.
Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential
- oGood honours degree in art or relevant subject, equivalent performing/work experience
- oMA/MSc or equivalent in art psychotherapy
- oRegistered with the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC) as an art psychotherapist
Desirable
- oOther related academic qualifications
- oClinical supervision training
- oAdvanced keyboard skills
- oTraining in breakaway/de-escalation techniques
- oCulture awareness training
Previous Experience
Essential
- oPost-qualification experience of autonomous working with a relevant client group both in groups and individually
- oExperience of working with people with disturbed and challenging behaviour.
- oSubstantial experience of personal psychotherapy.
- oExperience of assessing patients for an arts psychotherapy and making recommendations to a MDT.
Desirable
- oBeing Sole Arts Therapist in a MDT
- oExperience of negotiating space/therapeutic boundaries in a difficult context
- oEvidence of participation in research
- oExperience of supervising arts psychotherapists (trainee or qualified).
- oExperience of using a trauma informed approach.
- oLived experience of mental health Issues.
- oExperience of working in secure settings, either prison or secure hospitals.
- oExperience of working within a multicultural framework.
Skills & Knowledge
Essential
- oHigh standard of art making and commitment to maintaining skills.
- oSkills in planning, organising and prioritising own workload and in working without the involvement of the team in a particular case Knowledge of and skills in assessing patients for arts psychotherapy balancing risk with client needs and service priorities.
- oKnowledge of evidence based practice, clinical governance and related knowledge for research and audit.
- oKnowledge of legislation and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management in relation to relevant field/s and the full range of client groups
- oKnowledge of current forensic arts psychotherapies research and theories and skills in applying arts psychotherapy theories to work with individuals, groups and organisation
- oEvidence of continuing professional development as required by HCPC.
- oSkills in applying art therapy theories to work with individuals, groups and organisation
- oAbility to work with people with complex needs e.g. aggressive / unstable / suicidal patients, including those with personality disorder or a mixed diagnosis.
- oAbility to work with non-verbal patients or patients for whom using English is a major difficulty which could be for cultural reasons, or due to their mental state.
- oHigh standard of verbal communication skills including the ability to provide concise, clear and relevant feedback to a ward round/team meeting
- oComputer literacy and high standard of documented communication skills including the ability to produce clear typed reports detailing progress of therapy, selecting relevant information from sessions and expressing analytical detail without bias.
- oAbility to treat service users with respect and dignity at all times, adopting a culturally sensitive approach, which considers the needs of the whole person.
- oAbility to build constructive relationships with warmth and empathy, using good communication skills
Desirable
- oExperience of working with multi-disciplinary teams
- oCommitment to and enthusiasm for further training opportunities and CPD
- oTrained to use SystmOne
- oExperienced user of P-NOMIS
Attitudes, aptitudes personal characteristics
Essential
- oAbility to assess risk and be able to work face to face with acutely unwell patients without other staff nearby.
- oHigh degree of self awareness, Arts Therapy training and post-qualifying supervision
- oAbility to work with trauma and contain emotional impact through clinical supervision and team support systems.
- oAbility to work with victim/perpetrators who may have distressing personal histories without colluding or over-identifying.
- oAbility to contain and work with organisational stress and ability to 'hold' the stress of others
- oAbility to adapt to physical environment when dedicated therapy rooms are not available e.g. transporting art materials / equipment / art instruments etc and willingness to manipulate furniture to set up room (within Health and Safety parameters)
Desirable
- oFluent in an additional language
- oAbility to learn from experience
- oAble to provide services in a variety of environments as meets the needs of clients
- oPost qualification personal psychotherapy
Other
Essential
- oAbility to work to professional guidelines.
- oMust be capable of working autonomously with traumatised, severely disturbed, aggressive and/or distressed people for prolonged periods individually and in groups.
- oAbility to travel between sites
- oThe post holder must have the ability to understand and implement the equal opportunities policy at a level appropriate to the job.
- oAbility to promote anti-discriminatory and anti-racist practices.
- oAbility to promote and work in line with the working model of a 7 day a week service
Desirable
- Record of having published in either peer reviewed or academic professional journals and/or books.
- Must demonstrate ability to support the development of the profession through participation in professional bodies and activities.
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.
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.
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).
