Art Therapist

The principal purpose of the job is to improve the psychological health & wellbeing of people with learning disabilities or autistic people on inpatient wards across the Trust. This will be achieved in this post through undertaking the following areas of responsibility: 1. Providing a Therapy service to people as a key component of services provided by Devon Partnership Trust 2. Providing local clinical leadership, co-ordination and supervision for trainees and volunteers employed by or attached to the psychological therapies service, under the general direction and supervision of the Professional Lead 3.
Carrying a specialist caseload of clients with a learning disability and/or autism, and providing advice and consultancy to patients, family members, carers and professionals. 4. The post holder will be supported by senior colleagues within their specialist field. The post holder will be expected to make good use of the expertise of others within the service to further develop their clinical skills with this client group.
5. To work autonomously within professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for the systematic governance of psychological practice within the service / local team. 6. The post holder will receive regular professional and clinical supervision in accordance to Trust policy and to Professional Practice Guidelines set out by the British Association of Art Therapists.
Observe, and abide by all relevant Professional Codes of Conduct and Practice including the British Psychological Society. The post holder will be fully registered with the Health and Care Professions Council as a condition of employment. Duties and Responsibilities Communication and Working Relationships Clients, family and carers: To communicate in a highly skilled and sensitive manner with clients who may have specific difficulties in understand and/or communicating and who may be hostile, antagonistic or highly emotionally disturbed. Multidisciplinary team colleagues: To work closely with colleagues in the multi-professional integrated mental health and wellbeing service on a day to day basis.
To contribute to the planning and organising of the psychology and therapy services within the locality area and to contribute to the development and improvement of provision of psychological services within services to best meet the organisations strategy and priorities. The multidisciplinary service: To provide arts therapy knowledge to the multiprofessional planning, development and marketing of mental health and wellbeing services. Responsibility for Judgement and Analysis To provide specialist therapy expertise and advice. To provide art therapy, developing specialist psychological formulations and assessments of clients, formulating plans for their psychological treatment and implementing specialist psychological interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups.
To support the Professional Head, General Manager, Practice and Strategic Development Leads and Professional Leads by undertaking service development and redesign projects and coordinating the resulting work within the team. Responsibility for Patient/Client Care, Treatment and Therapy Assessment & intervention: To make highly skilled evaluations and decisions about assessment, treatment and discharge, including the management of risk. To formulate plans for psychological treatment and implementing specialist psychological interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups and to demonstrate awareness of diversity issues. Consultation & guidance: To provide advice, guidance and consultation on psychological aspects of patient care to colleagues, other service providers, patients, supporters and families.
Policy, Service, Research, Innovation and Improvement The post holder is accountable for their own professional actions, acting within Trust policies and procedures and Professional Practice Guidelines. Policy & service: To support proposed changes for policy and for service development. Responsibility for Finance, Equipment and Other Resources Careful use of equipment. Responsibility for Supervision, Leadership and Management Leadership & supervision: To supervise the work of assistants &/or trainees as required.
To support project work including specific areas of audit, research or service evaluation As a clinician to be responsible for collecting clinical practice and outcome data that contributes to building practice based evidence and service evaluation. Freedom to Act The post holder is accountable for their own professional actions, acting within Trust policies and procedures and Professional Practice Guidelines To work autonomously within clinical professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for the governance of psychological practice within the locality/specialty. Interpretation of professional and Trust guidelines, and implementing policies in conjunction with peers, Head of Profession and General Manager. To provide specialist P