Job Description

The Health and Justice Services Directorate of Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust provide physical and mental healthcare to women and men resident in Surrey prisons. Our motto is "Caring NOT Judging" so we are passionate about working with committed staff to provide an excellent service to this vulnerable and often poorly served group of people to improve their health status and to encourage social inclusion.
In our quest to deliver patient-focused quality care, we are looking to recruit a highly motivated, innovative and enthusiastic Art Psychotherapist to work as part of the service across our cluster of Surrey prisons. We are keen to recruit an Art Psychotherapist with a passion for working with adults in custody who have experienced trauma, adversity and offending. By joining our team, you will not only look after the healthcare needs of the prisoners, but also have the opportunity to work collaboratively with other staff and contribute to the Health and Justice Arts Psychotherapies service.
Applications are welcomed from experienced Art Psychotherapists who have an interest in working with adults in the Criminal Justice System.
PLEASE NOTE ANY CANDIDATE WISHING TO APPLY FOR THESE ROLES WILL BE SUBJECT TO VETTING CLEARANCE. THIS REQUIRES YOU TO HAVE BEEN A RESIDENT IN THE UK FOR A MINIMUM OF 3 YEARS.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will offer specialist Art Psychotherapy provision for prisons in Surrey and may be required to travel across the services.
As well as being part of an innovative prisons Arts Psychotherapies team, we are also keen to ensure this post will be integrated fully within our wider healthcare services, bringing a diversity of thinking into the wider multi-disciplinary team and prison staff, and respecting and integrating a range of opinions and approaches to provide the best outcomes.
The post holder will receive support and art psychotherapy supervision from the Lead Art Psychotherapist to support the development and delivery of this specialist integrated service.
We are keen to offer this opportunity to a confident and compassionate Art Psychotherapist with expertise in delivering individual and group Art Psychotherapy interventions and who has an interest in working with forensic populations using trauma informed approaches.
The post holder will be working into a seven day a week trauma informed service and there may be potential for work into evening and weekends.
About us
CNWL's Health & Justice Services are led by a highly motivated team with vast experience in healthcare within secure environments.
The Arts Psychotherapies team comes together regularly with psychologists for professional & clinical development.High quality supervision and continuing professional development are integral to our approach and to our intent to support and retain an excellent team. Focused training which contributes to your own development and to our service development will be supported.
CNWL has a large and vibrant Arts Psychotherapies network, offering excellent training, CPD, research and skill-sharing opportunities.
As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings.
All of our sites in Surrey offer free use of the onsite leisure facilities and free parking for staff.
Details
Date posted
25 November 2025
Pay scheme
Agenda for change
Band
Band 7
Salary
50,008 to 56,908 a year pa inc, pro rata
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Part-time, Job share, Compressed hours
Reference number
333-D-HJ-1934
Job locations
HMP Bronzefield
Woodthorpe Road
Ashford, Middlesex
TW15 3JZ
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see job description and personal specification for full list of responsibilities:
The Art Psychotherapy post will provide a comprehensive, highly specialist therapeutic service to people detained in prison including psychological assessment and therapy as well as advice and consultation on patients psychological care to other members of the core healthcare team and the wider establishment (prison) staff and other partner agencies.
The post holder will be expected to work flexibly and autonomously within professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for the systematic governance of Art Psychotherapy practice within the service/team.
The post holder will contribute specialist knowledge from Art Psychotherapy assessment and treatment to the overall care plan for each service user through contribution to clinical meetings and documented summaries, considering complexity of presentation, client need, risk factors and service priorities and in liaison with prison- based services and community services.
The post holder will contribute to developing the service provided by the Arts Psychotherapists team within Health and Justice. Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see job description and personal specification for full list of responsibilities:
The Art Psychotherapy post will provide a comprehensive, highly specialist therapeutic service to people detained in prison including psychological assessment and therapy as well as advice and consultation on patients psychological care to other members of the core healthcare team and the wider establishment (prison) staff and other partner agencies.
The post holder will be expected to work flexibly and autonomously within professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for the systematic governance of Art Psychotherapy practice within the service/team.
The post holder will contribute specialist knowledge from Art Psychotherapy assessment and treatment to the overall care plan for each service user through contribution to clinical meetings and documented summaries, considering complexity of presentation, client need, risk factors and service priorities and in liaison with prison- based services and community services.
The post holder will contribute to developing the service provided by the Arts Psychotherapists team within Health and Justice.
Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential

• Good honours degree in art or relevant subject, equivalent performing/work experience
• MA/MSc or equivalent in art psychotherapy
• Registered with the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC) as an art psychotherapist

Desirable

• Culture awareness training

Previous Experience
Essential

• Post-qualification experience of autonomous working with a relevant client group both in groups and individually
• Experience of assessing patients for an arts psychotherapy and making recommendations to a MDT.

Desirable

• Experience of negotiating space/therapeutic boundaries in a difficult context
• Evidence of participation in research
• Experience of using a trauma informed approach.
• Experience of working in secure settings, either prison or secure hospitals.

Skills & Knowledge
Essential

• Skills in planning, organising and prioritising own workload and in working without the involvement of the team in a particular case Knowledge of and skills in assessing patients for arts psychotherapy balancing risk with client needs and service priorities.
• Knowledge of current forensic arts psychotherapies research and theories and skills in applying arts psychotherapy theories to work with individuals, groups and organisation
• Evidence of continuing professional development as required by HCPC.
• Ability to work with people with complex needs e.g. aggressive / unstable / suicidal patients, including those with personality disorder or a mixed diagnosis.

Desirable

• Trained to use SystmOne

Other
Essential

• The post holder must have the ability to understand and implement the equal opportunities policy at a level appropriate to the job.
• Ability to promote and work in line with the working model of a 7 day a week service

Attitudes, aptitudes personal characteristics
Essential

• Ability to work with victim/perpetrators who may have distressing personal histories without colluding or over-identifying.
• Ability to adapt to physical environment when dedicated therapy rooms are not available e.g. transporting art materials / equipment / art instruments etc and willingness to manipulate furniture to set up room (within Health and Safety parameters)
• Ability to assess risk and be able to work face to face with acutely unwell patients without other staff nearby.

Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential

• Good honours degree in art or relevant subject, equivalent performing/work experience
• MA/MSc or equivalent in art psychotherapy
• Registered with the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC) as an art psychotherapist

Desirable

• Culture awareness training

Previous Experience
Essential

• Post-qualification experience of autonomous working with a relevant client group both in groups and individually
• Experience of assessing patients for an arts psychotherapy and making recommendations to a MDT.

Desirable

• Experience of negotiating space/therapeutic boundaries in a difficult context
• Evidence of participation in research
• Experience of using a trauma informed approach.
• Experience of working in secure settings, either prison or secure hospitals.

Skills & Knowledge
Essential

• Skills in planning, organising and prioritising own workload and in working without the involvement of the team in a particular case Knowledge of and skills in assessing patients for arts psychotherapy balancing risk with client needs and service priorities.
• Knowledge of current forensic arts psychotherapies research and theories and skills in applying arts psychotherapy theories to work with individuals, groups and organisation
• Evidence of continuing professional development as required by HCPC.
• Ability to work with people with complex needs e.g. aggressive / unstable / suicidal patients, including those with personality disorder or a mixed diagnosis.

Desirable

• Trained to use SystmOne

Other
Essential

• The post holder must have the ability to understand and implement the equal opportunities policy at a level appropriate to the job.
• Ability to promote and work in line with the working model of a 7 day a week service

Attitudes, aptitudes personal characteristics
Essential

• Ability to work with victim/perpetrators who may have distressing personal histories without colluding or over-identifying.
• Ability to adapt to physical environment when dedicated therapy rooms are not available e.g. transporting art materials / equipment / art instruments etc and willingness to manipulate furniture to set up room (within Health and Safety parameters)
• Ability to assess risk and be able to work face to face with acutely unwell patients without other staff nearby.

Skills Required