Job summary
Band 7 Art Drama or Music Therapist
RUBY WARD IS CURRENTLY BASED AT LITTLESTONE LODGE. IN EARLY 2024 THE WARD WILL MOVE TO IT'S NEW PERMANT HOME AT HERMATIGE LANE SITE - MAIDSTONE.
We are looking for an enthusiastic and energetic art drama or music therapist to work on our older adult acute mental health wards across multiple locations in North, West and East Kent. You will have experience of providing group therapy interventions and brief, focused individual sessions in acute mental health inpatient settings for older adults and people with dementia. You will actively engage with ward teams, and support psychologically informed person-centred care planning to enable service users' journey towards recovery &/or living well in the community.
An understanding of the needs of those with mental health difficulties as well as of those living with dementia and the ability to work with those who have cognitive difficulties is essential.
You will work closely with multi-disciplinary ward teams and will have wide-ranging opportunities for developing your clinical interests and skills with this population. Your base will be Ruby ward however you may be asked to work across other wards also.
Main duties of the job
To assess clients with complex and high risk needs for suitability for individual and group arts therapies. To facilitate a treatment program which is flexible and sensitive to the needs of the client group and involve clients in group and one to one work using a variety of modalities associated with their particular discipline (i.e., art therapy, music therapy, dramatherapy) in a therapeutic and creative and safe way.
To work as part of a multidisciplinary team in planning, implementing and evaluating treatment, providing assessment and treatment for clients referred to the service and evaluate care
To work independently, designing and establishing a specialist clinical arts therapy service for clients.
To maintain own patient records, write reports, make recommendations and feedback on patients' treatment.
You will also be asked to offer staff support including reflective practice sessions for the ward MDT team.
About us
Come and work with us in the Garden of England where we combine exceptional professional development opportunities with a tremendous quality of life.
We are Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust (KMPT), providing mental health, learning disability and specialist services, serving 1.8 million people across the county.
The Trust (rated Good overall by the CQC and Outstanding for care) has 3,283 staff working in 66 buildings across 33 locations, covering an area of 1,450 square miles.
You will be joining friendly, passionate colleagues, rich in their diversity, who are committed to providing excellent care to our service users and their loved ones.
The nature of our work attracts kindness and compassion as standard and everyone from our cleaners and porters to the chief executive and chairman are recognised as playing a vital role in providing an exemplary service.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Art Drama and Music therapists perform controlled sessions where arts-based activities are used to observe and explore the behaviour, attitudes and emotions of individuals experiencing physical, psychological, emotional or mental health problems.
The Post holder is responsible to the Psychology Lead for the provision and development of specialised arts therapies and psychological services in older adult acute settings across Kent and Medway.
Key Task and Responsibilities
- To work independently, designing and establishing a specialist clinical arts therapy service for clients.
- To liaise with other members of the multidisciplinary team around treatment outcomes, referrals for individual work and formulation to ensure the service meets client needs while working within professional boundaries and HCPC ethics and code of conduct.
- To maintain own patient records, write reports, make recommendations and feedback on patients treatment.
Please see Job Description for Full details
Job description
Job responsibilities
Art Drama and Music therapists perform controlled sessions where arts-based activities are used to observe and explore the behaviour, attitudes and emotions of individuals experiencing physical, psychological, emotional or mental health problems.
The Post holder is responsible to the Psychology Lead for the provision and development of specialised arts therapies and psychological services in older adult acute settings across Kent and Medway.
Key Task and Responsibilities
- To work independently, designing and establishing a specialist clinical arts therapy service for clients.
- To liaise with other members of the multidisciplinary team around treatment outcomes, referrals for individual work and formulation to ensure the service meets client needs while working within professional boundaries and HCPC ethics and code of conduct.
- To maintain own patient records, write reports, make recommendations and feedback on patients treatment.
Please see Job Description for Full details
Person Specification
Qualifications and Experince
Essential
- Honours degree, MA or Post graduate dip/in Arts Psychotherapy including Art, Drama, Music etc.
- HCPC registration is required
- Advanced knowledge of an Arts Therapy discipline underpinned by a high level of theory and practice
- Commitment to continuing professional development and own clinical research
Experience
Essential
- Experience of arts therapy application to acute older adult settings/ with people with dementia
- Extensive experience of group work
- Must be able to work as a sole Arts Therapist and take responsibility for establishing arts therapy provision on designated wards
- Must be a good communicator who is able to work within a busy ward setting
- Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, highly clinically sensitive information
- A clear and theoretically informed approach to supervision
Desirable
- Experience of conducting formal research, audit or service evaluation in a healthcare setting
- Experience of offering teaching, training and supervision within a demanding organisational context
Knowledge and Understanding
Essential
- Knowledge of legislation and its implications for clinical practice and professional management in relation to relevant field and client diagnosis
- Well-developed skills in ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, highly technical, and clinically sensitive information to clients, families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS
Person Specification
Qualifications and Experince
Essential
- Honours degree, MA or Post graduate dip/in Arts Psychotherapy including Art, Drama, Music etc.
- HCPC registration is required
- Advanced knowledge of an Arts Therapy discipline underpinned by a high level of theory and practice
- Commitment to continuing professional development and own clinical research
Experience
Essential
- Experience of arts therapy application to acute older adult settings/ with people with dementia
- Extensive experience of group work
- Must be able to work as a sole Arts Therapist and take responsibility for establishing arts therapy provision on designated wards
- Must be a good communicator who is able to work within a busy ward setting
- Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, highly clinically sensitive information
- A clear and theoretically informed approach to supervision
Desirable
- Experience of conducting formal research, audit or service evaluation in a healthcare setting
- Experience of offering teaching, training and supervision within a demanding organisational context
Knowledge and Understanding
Essential
- Knowledge of legislation and its implications for clinical practice and professional management in relation to relevant field and client diagnosis
- Well-developed skills in ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, highly technical, and clinically sensitive information to clients, families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS
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.
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
