Job Description

The Art Psychotherapist role is a new role set up with funding from the South East London MHLDA Quality Improvement Plan. The overall aim of this plan is to ensure that service users in the inpatient services can be supported in the most effective way through a holistic and inclusive therapeutic care environment. This role will be based across both Bexley and Bromley inpatient sites.
Main duties of the job

• To assess clients with complex and high-risk needs for suitability for individual and group Art therapy. To facilitate a treatment program which is flexible and sensitive to the needs of the client group and involve clients in 1:1 and group work, using a variety of art materials in a therapeutic and creative 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.
• The post holder will show proof of commitment to continuing professional development.
• To work independently, designing and establishing a specialist clinical Art Therapy service for clients, while also demonstrating outcomes and contributing to reporting processes to evidence impact and effectiveness.
• To liaise with other members of the multidisciplinary team around treatment outcomes, referrals and formulation to ensure the service meets client needs while working within professional boundaries and HPC ethics and code of conduct.
• To maintain own patient records, write reports for consultants and other professionals to make recommendations, and feedback on patients' treatment.
• To be able to access and disseminate up to date research and information in support of clinical work.

About us
Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children's centres, schools and people's homes.We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.
Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:

• We're Kind
• We're Fair
• We Listen
• We Care

Details
Date posted
23 October 2025
Pay scheme
Agenda for change
Band
Band 7
Salary
53,751 to 60,651 a year pa inc
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Full-time
Reference number
277-7526374-AAC
Job locations
Green Parks House
Bromley
BR6 8NY
Job description
Job responsibilities

• To be responsible for managing own clinical caseload and workload.
• To contribute to the multidisciplinary team in planning, implementing and evaluating treatment.
• To assist in recruitment of staff, which may include short listing and interviewing new staff.
• Demonstrate profession to new employees and advise less experienced staff as required.
• To take part in non-clinical risk assessments of safe areas and art materials. Manage these effectively and safely.
• To order art materials and manage the Art Psychotherapy clinical space ensuring there is a confidential storage and records system for clients artwork. Ensure the safe use of equipment by all staff and clients who use the space.

Leadership

• To be accountable for clinical work and performance management to the Service Manager, Head Art therapist and Director of Service.
• To initiate and activate audit and evaluation of clinical work and ensure that all interventions are based on clinical research and best practice.
• Develop the service by promoting Art therapy to other clinicians and members of the wider team. To run staff training sessions as required. To take presentations and experiential workshops for the Trust and external agencies as required.
• To provide clinical supervision to colleagues or trainees. To plan Trainees induction and clinical time while on placement
• Attend monthly supervision group, team meetings as required and monthly 1:1 supervision with operational and professional managers.

Clinical

• To make clinical decisions around patient care and treatment program.
• To manage a complex caseload working with clients with learning disabilities with varying diagnosis and behavioural issues.
• To provide general and specialised assessments for and formulate a treatment plan in accordance with presented client need.
• To be able to offer different flexible psychodynamic models of treatment according to presented client need and to have a knowledge of other theoretical modalities in order to engage and refer appropriately to other professionals, external agencies and other Therapies.
• To have skills in assessing clinical risk with clients with complex histories, advising, influencing and impacting MDT diagnostic values in terms of risk assessment.
• To work within the care plan approach framework, organise own workload, prioritising clients with the most complex and acute needs in regard to frequency of sessions and length of treatment. To take part in CPA meetings either in person or in writing i.e. reports.
• The Therapist must be able to retain and process complex information during patient appointments and process intense levels of transferred feelings from client to therapist during sessions. This includes transference and countertransference which occurs on a daily basis within therapy sessions and must be contained and interpreted when appropriate.
• To manage the complexity of Art Psychotherapy theory versus practice within the clinical work, discuss treatment programs and develop a therapeutic relationship with clients who have severe mental health problems and relatives/carers who may be challenged by the information given.
• To understand and usefully work with complex psychodynamic process which occur in sessions and to be aware of verbal and non-verbal communication and symbolic meaning in client artwork.
• To understand the dynamics of organisations and be able to work effectively within complex institutional contexts being aware that the pathology of traumatised clients can have a divisive impact on team dynamics.
• To be highly empathic and containing while working with clients in states of extreme emotional disturbance with complex histories and provide effective flexible, treatment plans and interventions.

Job description
Job responsibilities

• To be responsible for managing own clinical caseload and workload.
• To contribute to the multidisciplinary team in planning, implementing and evaluating treatment.
• To assist in recruitment of staff, which may include short listing and interviewing new staff.
• Demonstrate profession to new employees and advise less experienced staff as required.
• To take part in non-clinical risk assessments of safe areas and art materials. Manage these effectively and safely.
• To order art materials and manage the Art Psychotherapy clinical space ensuring there is a confidential storage and records system for clients artwork. Ensure the safe use of equipment by all staff and clients who use the space.

Leadership

• To be accountable for clinical work and performance management to the Service Manager, Head Art therapist and Director of Service.
• To initiate and activate audit and evaluation of clinical work and ensure that all interventions are based on clinical research and best practice.
• Develop the service by promoting Art therapy to other clinicians and members of the wider team. To run staff training sessions as required. To take presentations and experiential workshops for the Trust and external agencies as required.
• To provide clinical supervision to colleagues or trainees. To plan Trainees induction and clinical time while on placement
• Attend monthly supervision group, team meetings as required and monthly 1:1 supervision with operational and professional managers.

Clinical

• To make clinical decisions around patient care and treatment program.
• To manage a complex caseload working with clients with learning disabilities with varying diagnosis and behavioural issues.
• To provide general and specialised assessments for and formulate a treatment plan in accordance with presented client need.
• To be able to offer different flexible psychodynamic models of treatment according to presented client need and to have a knowledge of other theoretical modalities in order to engage and refer appropriately to other professionals, external agencies and other Therapies.
• To have skills in assessing clinical risk with clients with complex histories, advising, influencing and impacting MDT diagnostic values in terms of risk assessment.
• To work within the care plan approach framework, organise own workload, prioritising clients with the most complex and acute needs in regard to frequency of sessions and length of treatment. To take part in CPA meetings either in person or in writing i.e. reports.
• The Therapist must be able to retain and process complex information during patient appointments and process intense levels of transferred feelings from client to therapist during sessions. This includes transference and countertransference which occurs on a daily basis within therapy sessions and must be contained and interpreted when appropriate.
• To manage the complexity of Art Psychotherapy theory versus practice within the clinical work, discuss treatment programs and develop a therapeutic relationship with clients who have severe mental health problems and relatives/carers who may be challenged by the information given.
• To understand and usefully work with complex psychodynamic process which occur in sessions and to be aware of verbal and non-verbal communication and symbolic meaning in client artwork.
• To understand the dynamics of organisations and be able to work effectively within complex institutional contexts being aware that the pathology of traumatised clients can have a divisive impact on team dynamics.
• To be highly empathic and containing while working with clients in states of extreme emotional disturbance with complex histories and provide effective flexible, treatment plans and interventions.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Master's degree-level training course approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
• Registration with the HCPC

Experience
Essential

• Interest/Experience in working with adults

Knowledge
Essential

• Relevant additional training/knowledge

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Master's degree-level training course approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
• Registration with the HCPC

Experience
Essential

• Interest/Experience in working with adults

Knowledge
Essential

• Relevant additional training/knowledge

Skills Required