Job Description

About The Role
THERAPEUTIC & EMOTIONAL SUPPORT SERVICE (TESS)
Make Art. Make Meaning. Make a difference.
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a skilled and imaginative Art Psychotherapist to join our therapeutic and emotional support service (TESS).
TESS is an emotional wellbeing service that offers assessment and a wide range of individual, dyadic and group interventions to Birmingham's children in care, their parents and carers, unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, and care experienced young adults up to the age of 25 years. TESS also provides consultation and support to the professional and care network.
We are keen to recruit someone who is interested in joining a team whose area of focus is working with children in care and care experienced young adults. We currently have 2 vacancies to cover slightly different areas of the Team.

• An Art Psychotherapist to support our Under 18s in care
• An Art Psychotherapist to focus on young adults 18 years and over

You will be working as part of a team to deliver support and guidance via a consultation and guidance service to the wider children in care, unaccompanied asylum seeking children, and care leavers support network. A key part of the role will be to offer direct therapeutic support with a focus on improving emotional regulation and interpersonal relationships, in turn, developing emotional stability and personal resilience.
Post holders will be joining a friendly, supportive, very well established and highly regarded multi-disciplinary team of clinical psychology, systemic family therapy, play therapy, and other therapeutic Social Workers trained in a variety of models (e.g. DDP, CBT, DBT, etc). A wide range of approaches and models are utilised within the service to best meet the needs of our care experienced children and young adults, and innovative and creative work is encouraged.
We work with children, young people and care experienced young adults who reside in Birmingham and out of the city, who are from a wide range of diverse backgrounds and experiences. Our workforce represents the diverse families of Birmingham that we support.
Children and young adults who are referred for support experience a wide spectrum of concerns, including issues of separation and loss, emotional, behavioural and neurodevelopmental difficulties, mental health issues and developmental trauma. We work closely with our children, young adults and other agencies. An ability to demonstrate team and multi-agency working are crucial elements to this role.
This is more than a clinical role. It's an opportunity to use art, creativity and relationship to help young people make sense of their stories, strengthen attachments and discover new ways of being in the world.
If you believe that art can reach where words cannot, we would love to hear from you.
We are committed to the arts as a vital therapeutic and developmental resource, and we actively support our clinicians to grow creatively as well as professionally.
You can expect:

• Dedicated art materials budget and access to well-resourced spaces
• Opportunities to develop specialist arts-based approaches (e.g. trauma, attachment, identity, transitions)
• Clinical supervision and reflective practice spaces
• A service culture that values curiosity, innovation and the therapeutic power of creativity

We are looking for therapists to join us who:

• Have a HCPC-registered Art Psychotherapist with a recognised postgraduate qualification.
• Have a genuine commitment to working with care-experienced children and young adults.
• Are compassionate, reflective and emotionally resilient
• Are confident working with trauma, attachment and loss
• Are comfortable navigating complex systems and multi-agency work
• Are passionate about ethical, child-centred and anti-oppressive practice

Experience with children in care, care leavers or family work is highly valued, but we are equally interested in your potential, creativity and values.
We will provide you with access to training, regular professional supervision, and on-going support.
If you have experience of working with care experienced young adults, are positive, passionate and committed to making a difference and enjoy the challenge this brings, we would like to hear from you. We are looking for applicants who can demonstrate an interest in evidence-based practice and research and who are keen to develop their knowledge.
In order to be considered for this role please include a supporting statement demonstrating how you meet the competencies required as outlined in the attached person specification.
We have been rated as 'Good' by Ofsted, following a 2023 inspection. This is a fantastic achievement for Birmingham Children's Trust, with many positive highlights focusing on areas including the quality of staff leadership, partnership working, safeguarding and corporate parenting.
This is a hybrid role based in Birmingham so you must reside within a suitable commutable distance around Birmingham and have the correct right-to-work documents to work in the UK. Sadly, we do not support those who require sponsorship.
About Us
Help us to change children and young people's lives!
At Birmingham Children's Trust, we are committed to making a positive impact on the lives of over 10,000 children and young people in our city every day. Our mission is to support the most disadvantaged children and young people in Birmingham, ensuring they are safe, happy, and healthy.
Why Join Us?

• Impactful Work - be part of a team that makes a real difference in the lives of the city's most vulnerable children.
• Supportive Environment - enjoy a supportive and collaborative work culture where your contributions are valued.
• Career Development - benefit from tailored development programs, supportive supervision, and a range of learning opportunities to enhance your skills and advance your career.
• Generous Benefits - take advantage of our competitive reward package including generous leave allowance, Local Government pension scheme, and additional benefits.

Our Values
We approach our work with care and compassion, actively listening to the needs of the children and young people we serve. We involve them in the decisions that affect their lives, ensuring their voices are heard and respected.
We are committed to using our resources wisely, ensuring that every penny is spent where it counts the most. We foster collaboration among schools, health professionals, and the police, working together to create a supportive network for our young people.
We believe that when we work as one cohesive team, the children and young people of Birmingham are more likely to thrive. Our unified approach ensures that we provide the best possible support and opportunities for their growth and development.
Join us and together, we can create a brighter future for all.
Safeguarding
At Birmingham Children's Trust, we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.
Depending on the role, you may be asked to undergo the appropriate level of Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check to assess your suitability for working with children and young people.
The level of check (Standard, Enhanced, or Enhanced with Barred List) is determined based on the specific responsibilities of the role and the level of contact with children and young people.
We are committed to the fair treatment of all applicants, including those with criminal records. Having a criminal record will not necessarily bar an individual from working with us. This will depend on the nature of the position and the circumstances and background of the offence.
Please note that we reserve the right to close the job early should we reach the required number of applications, therefore please ensure you submit your application and supporting statement early to avoid any disappointment.

Skills Required