Job Description

As an HCPC registered Allied Health professional, reporting to the Consultant psychological lead for Tower Hamlets, you will supervise the clinical and professional aspects of all arts therapists working in in adult mental health services. Their line management will be held by other colleagues in either inpatient or locality psychology teams.
You will ensure that the art therapists are supported to meet resident's needs via group, partnership working and 1:1 work. This will be through development of guidance and best practice for the art therapy professionals in the borough. Ensuring that activity is effective, acceptable and increasingly co-produced. There will be scope to explore partnership working with voluntary and charitable sector organisations, to further disseminate the benefits of art therapies through supervision and consultation.
There will be time for clinical work and other service development activities.
Main duties of the job
1. To be responsible for the overall provision of a specialist Arts Therapies assessment and treatment service for adults within the Directorate
2. To be responsible for all clincial and professional aspects of the Arts Therapies offer within Tower Hamlets and ensure that clear systems are in place and working effectively for management and productivity
3. To lead in the development of the Arts Therapies service, including proposing and implementing service developments within the area served by the team and in liaison with the Senior Leadership Team, Professional Lead for Arts Therapies, and other Head Arts Therapists in the Trust.
4. To manage and supervise the Arts Therapists and trainee Arts Therapists across the directorate
5. To provide specialist Arts Therapies assessment and treatment for own clinical caseload
6. To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of the Arts Therapies service and to understand and contribute research and quality improvement in relevant specialist fields
7. To establish and maintain good working relationships with all other operational and clinical managers in both inpatient and community settings in the borough.
About us
Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive - so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.
Details
Date posted
05 September 2025
Pay scheme
Agenda for change
Band
Band 8a
Salary
64,156 to 71,148 a year per annum pro rata Inc HCAs
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Part-time
Reference number
363-TH7442637
Job locations
Mile End Hospital
Bancroft Rd
London
E1 4DG
Job description
Job responsibilities
Kindly refer to the job description and person specification that is attached to the vacancy profile. Job description
Job responsibilities
Kindly refer to the job description and person specification that is attached to the vacancy profile.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential

• Substantial post-qualification experience of providing highly specialist arts therapeutic assessment and treatment interventions for patients within working age adult services with complex problems and reflecting a wide range of clinical severity and/or comorbid difficulties such as dual diagnosis, psychosis, personality disorder or learning disabilities
• Experience developing a specialist service, and of liaising with a wide range of operational managers across clinical settings
• Experience of leading a staff team including; workload allocation, timetable monitoring and coordination, negotiating new staffing resources, managing departmental budgets and performance targets, organising induction of new staff and students
• Experience of working with interpreters

Desirable

• Experience of working in a range of care settings, including outpatient, inpatient and community

Training & Qualifications
Essential

• For Art, Music or Drama Therapist Registration with the HCPC For Dance Movement Psychotherapists - Full Member Registration with the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)
• Membership of own Arts Therapy professional body
• Clinical Supervision Training
• MA (or equivalent) Arts Therapies qualification

Desirable

• Further training in an area of psychological practice relevant to the post's clinical area
• Management training e.g. in appraisal skills, recruitment and retention, Core manager's training

Knowledge and skills
Essential

• Leadership and management skills, particularly in developing a specialist service
• Skills in contributing to risk assessment and risk management planning within a multidisciplinary team
• Skills in managing highly emotive and distressing situations including verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse, with professionalism

Desirable

• Experience of running quality improvement projects

Person Specification
Experience
Essential

• Substantial post-qualification experience of providing highly specialist arts therapeutic assessment and treatment interventions for patients within working age adult services with complex problems and reflecting a wide range of clinical severity and/or comorbid difficulties such as dual diagnosis, psychosis, personality disorder or learning disabilities
• Experience developing a specialist service, and of liaising with a wide range of operational managers across clinical settings
• Experience of leading a staff team including; workload allocation, timetable monitoring and coordination, negotiating new staffing resources, managing departmental budgets and performance targets, organising induction of new staff and students
• Experience of working with interpreters

Desirable

• Experience of working in a range of care settings, including outpatient, inpatient and community

Training & Qualifications
Essential

• For Art, Music or Drama Therapist Registration with the HCPC For Dance Movement Psychotherapists - Full Member Registration with the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)
• Membership of own Arts Therapy professional body
• Clinical Supervision Training
• MA (or equivalent) Arts Therapies qualification

Desirable

• Further training in an area of psychological practice relevant to the post's clinical area
• Management training e.g. in appraisal skills, recruitment and retention, Core manager's training

Knowledge and skills
Essential

• Leadership and management skills, particularly in developing a specialist service
• Skills in contributing to risk assessment and risk management planning within a multidisciplinary team
• Skills in managing highly emotive and distressing situations including verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse, with professionalism

Desirable

• Experience of running quality improvement projects

Skills Required