Main Duties and Responsibilities

Patient Care

• To plan and prioritise a client caseload as defined by the service under supervision from a senior Arts Therapist.

• To develop skills to undertake specialised Arts Therapy assessments referring on to where appropriate.

• To be responsible for maintaining, on service users’ behalf, an appropriate, contained, creative therapeutic environment

• To deal with conflict and resolve difficulties arising for service users in clinical interventions

• To plan and deliver recovery focused interventions in conjunction with the MDT ensuring regular evaluation of service user care plans

• To assess client’s mental state and identify any significant risk factors, and to collaboratively undertake risk assessments with other professionals

• To promote and apply equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory interventions that respect the service users’ customs, values and spiritual beliefs at all times

• To ensure that any service user complaints or incidents are reported accurately and investigated appropriately, making clinical team members aware.

• To take a lead on designated projects with senior support

Clinical

• To attend clinical meetings/ CPA meetings, contribute clinical information on clients’ progress and arrange clinical review meetings when necessary 

• To develop skills in managing difficult and demanding clinical situations including exploring complex, sensitive and disturbing personal issues in both group and one to one contexts with service users with acute needs 

• To apply clinical knowledge and skills in one to one and group interventions with clients with complex needs, including brief, medium and long-term work

• To ensure that all interventions are documented in the service user’s clinical record

• To attend clinical group supervision/consultation

• To produce clinical reports on a regular basis and disseminate to other involved professionals, agencies and the service user as appropriate

• To evaluate effectiveness of interventions, in conjunction with clients/carers, other professionals

• To apply evidence based practice

• To manage a client caseload in response to clients’ needs and the remit of the service with senior support

• To exercise professional and clinical judgement in complex clinical cases and refer to senior staff when necessary

• To make decisions in terms of day-to-day management of own time, in collaboration with the MDT and line manager support 

Administration

• To collect statistics submitting them as per service requirements 

• To carry out administrative tasks as required for the smooth running of the service 

• To ensure that accurate and current service information is available to users and carers, and to provide as necessary to allocated caseload

• To ensure that client’s clinical material e.g. audio/video is securely stored and safely managed

• To use video and audio equipment 

Human Resources

• To contribute to the training and development of Arts Therapists in own and other modalities and use expertise to provide advice and information to health professionals in other disciplines
• To ensure own continued personal and professional development is met through training and educational opportunities, with support from Head Arts Psychotherapist and Strategic Lead for Arts Therapies
• Participate in yearly appraisals

• To engage in management supervision 

Performance and Quality

• Adhere to Trust procedures and policies
• To develop and maintain links with relevant statutory and non-statutory agencies throughout Bedford and Luton including Psychological Therapies services, day care services, user-led initiatives, voluntary bodies and work, training and education services
• To follow Trust and Arts Therapies Service policies and procedures and HCPC/UKCP professional standards

• To contribute to an area of service development in line with local service policy and in consultation with relevant managers

• To offer professional advice to other professionals and care groups within the Bedford and Luton service

• To ensure the service provided to clients is culturally sensitive and responsive to the ethnic diversity within the locality  

• To actively encourage service user involvement in recovery focused service development

• To participate in and contribute to service level discussions/plans on maintaining the treatment environment and services for clients.

• To actively participate in audits and quality improvement in relation to service evaluation and review

• To attend relevant professional and service development meetings, e.g arts therapies meetings, clinical meetings, handovers, Trust-wide Arts Therapies meetings.

• To maintain registration with the HCPC and be aware of and comply with policy and requirements of registration and professional bodies 

• To promote and apply evidence based practice to service delivery

• To keep abreast of new developments and research in Arts Therapy and mental health

• To participate in activities related to clinical effectiveness via audit, quality improvement research and evidence based practice

• To participate in regular Trust-wide Clinical Interest groups undertaking delegated tasks as appropriate

• To participate in planned Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and maintain a personal CPD portfolio

• To ensure own development through regular participation in supervision/consultation process and participation in other training opportunities within the Trust 

Financial and Physical Resources

• To monitor the levels of stock and equipment for the delivery of arts therapies

• To implement policies and procedures for the safe use & secure storage of stock and equipment in line with health and safety requirements

• To be responsible for accurately completing petty cash vouchers related to purchases made for individual client service provision 

• To exert physical effort in moving equipment and furniture, e.g. when setting up a room for group work 

• To undertake intense concentration for clinical interventions on both a one-to-one and group basis.