Job responsibilities
Clinical To assess adults with Learning Disabilities who have complexbehavioural, mental health, emotional, and relational difficulties for musicpsychotherapy. To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for allaspects of their work. To work with clients to identify the appropriate model of artspsychotherapy for their needs. To accept clinical responsibility for a caseload of clients, taking acollaborative role with members of the multi-disciplinary team, or actingas the sole case-holder where appropriate. To plan and implement client-focused individual and/or groupinterventions. To monitor, evaluate, review and modify treatment for clients withmultiple needs in order to measure progress and ensure theeffectiveness of the intervention. To use CORE and/ or HONOS-LD to evaluate clinical outcomes, and towork towards the further development of evidence-based practice in artspsychotherapy. To apply a high level of understanding of the effects of complex mentalhealth, behavioural, emotional, and relational difficulties on serviceusers, their families and carers, and to demonstrate a sound grasp ofpsychodynamic principles to working with them to assist change oradaptation. To provide music psychotherapy in working conditions which may behazardous or stressful e.g., psychotherapy with adults who may havedistressing circumstances, mental health problems experience oftrauma, and show challenging, aggressive, self-harming, suicidal ordisinhibited behaviour in a community setting. To assess capacity and gain valid informed consent to work within alegal framework with clients who may have difficulty in cognitiveunderstanding and/or verbal expression due to mental health problems. To at times, assist clients with physical difficulties to comfortably use themusic room and the music materials. To move and handle art/music equipment, materials, artwork andportfolios in community mental health settings.Communication To ensure that the service users views are central to the planning ofarts psychotherapy and their overall plan of care within the SpecialistCommunity Learning Disability Service. To establish robust communication networks with clients, carers,multidisciplinary team colleagues, and other health workers andagencies. To demonstrate skill in communicating complex, sensitive or contentiousinformation to clients and their carers as appropriate. To discuss psychotherapeutic progress with clients who may finddifficulty in self-awareness, emotional and verbal expression. To communicate with carers and MDT colleagues aboutpsychotherapeutic progress whilst respecting the client's autonomy andconfidentiality. To promote awareness of the role of music psychotherapist within theteam, locally and nationally. To liaise with the Clinical Lead for Arts Therapies (Adult Services) , theTherapy Manager and the local Team Manager on matters of clientcare, unmet needs and service delivery. To use IT skill for therapeutic use (where appropriate) and to assistcommunication within the service area, the whole arts therapies service,The Therapy Agency, and Sheffield Health and Social Care Trust.Documentation To ensure that up to date written and electronic records and activity dataare maintained in accordance with professional, Agency and SheffieldHealth and Social Care Trust standards. To provide specialist music psychotherapy reports relevant to the servicearea.Professional Ethics To comply with the Code of Ethics and Professional Practice, nationaland local policies and procedures. To respect the individuality, values, cultural and religious diversity ofclients and contribute to the provision of a service sensitive to thoseneeds. To demonstrate the ability to reflect on ethical issues and provideguidance to less experienced staff as necessary.Leadership, Supervision and Appraisal In line with local guidelines, review and reflect on own practice andperformance through effective use of clinical and operational supervisionand appraisal. Provide effective leadership, guidance, supervision, and appraisal forless experienced staff.Training staff and students To contribute to the induction, training of students and other staff (fromall disciplines) both within and external to Sheffield Health and SocialCare Trust. To be responsible for the supervision and written assessment of artspsychotherapy M.A students on practice placement within the AdultMental Health Service, in communication with the students personaltutor. To provide specialist advice to arts therapy colleagues in other clinicalareas. To provide specialist advice and training to carers, clients, and otherprofessionals.Service development and delivery To participate in the operational planning, and implementation of policyand service development within the team, leading on delegated projects. To lead in the delivery of delegated areas of the arts psychotherapydevelopment planProfessional Development To apply specialist skills and knowledge to establish professionalcompetence and fitness to practice as an arts psychotherapist. To demonstrate a high level of ongoing personal development throughparticipation in internal and external development opportunities,recording learning outcomes in a portfolio.Clinical governance, quality standards To contribute to the Sheffield Health and Social Care Trust, theSpecialist Community Learning Disability Service, The Therapy Agencyand the Arts Therapies Service clinical governance arrangements,including the setting and monitoring of practice standards. To apply national guidelines/legislation relating to the physical andmental health care of adults with Learning DisabilitiesManagement To exercise good personal time-management, punctuality, andconsistent, reliable attendance. To provide advice on the resources necessary to maintain the service. To decide priorities for own work area, balancing other patient-relatedand professional demands and ensuring that these remain inaccordance with those of the service. To be actively involved in the collation of appropriate data and statisticsas required by the Therapy Agency.Research and practice development To undertake research and/or audit projects relevant to artspsychotherapy and/or the service area disseminating findings at a locallevel. To broaden research and development skills by participation in local audit and research projects.Therapy materials and environment To order music materials, monitor their safe use and store them accordingto C.O.S.H.H guidelines. To maintain the safety and good order of the therapeutic space.
