Job summary We are currently seeking a part-time (30 hours per week) Dramatherapist to join our Enhanced Primary Mental Health Service (EMPHS) based at the Orchards in Hemel Hempstead and covering Hemel Hempstead and St Alban's locality. EPMHS is a relatively new service in NW Hertfordshire which sits under Primary Care Mental Health Services. We aim to provide interventions to those not meeting the criteria for secondary mental health services but may need more than is offered by Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) Services. We are seeking a drama therapist to work alongside our current dramatherapist to provide assessment and interventions for service users with complex mental health needs. The role will include but not limited to: o Provide clinical assessment, group and 1.1 dramatherapy interventions to service users with moderate and severe mental health issues, with a particular focus on engaging younger adults o To work effectively as a member of a multi-disciplinary team o Provide assessment and intervention across GP practices within the EPMHS, and in a variety of venues across the locality. Please refer to the JD/PS for further information. Main duties of the job Provide assessment, preventative and early intervention treatment for service users experiencing moderate and severe mental health problems who may have a level of complexity that traditional primary care and community support struggle to support and for those experiencing long-term mental ill-health (severe and common mental illnesses). Provide assessment and intervention for individuals and groups, with a particular emphasis on engaging younger adults To implement policy and service development, undertake service evaluation and audit for own team/service About us Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trustare one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of 'Outstanding' from theCare Quality Commission Our family of over 4,000 members of staff provide health and social care for people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. Everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout: Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional. About us - Hertfordshire NHS Partnership Trust Heard. Respected. Included. Together, we help people with mental ill-health, learning disabilities and autism to live life to the fullest. We work throughout Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Norfolkhttps://www.hertsnhsgreattogether.co.uk/ Date posted 07 March 2025 Pay scheme Agenda for change Band Band 6 Salary £39,205 to £47,084 a year per annum pro rata (5% fringe HCAS included) Contract Permanent Working pattern Part-time Reference number 367-ACMS-9213 Job locations The Orchards Ashley Close Hemel Hempsted, HP3 8EH Ashley Close Hemel Hempsted HP3 8EH Job description Job responsibilities As a clinician, the post holder provides and evaluates assessment and treatment services for adults referred for moderate and severe mental health problems with a level of complexity, and for those experiencing long term mental ill-health. They ascertain risk, needs and suitability for individual, group, other psychological therapies as a whole and specialist arts therapies, communicating with the whole range of other professionals involved. The post holder works jointly with professionals to deliver assessment and care consultation for the range of interventions, provides individual and group dramatherapy assessments and treatment and care coordination. To carry out initial assessment for the service. Analyses and clarifies factors or risk e.g. self-harm, level of functioning, capacity to engage in therapeutic work, unmet needs and support systems to determine the patients need and capacities to undertake the treatment. To provide specialised assessment with service users referred for the range of psychological therapies jointly with other arts therapies and psychological therapies to determine which service will meet their therapeutic needs. To make decisions and recommendations regarding the treatment of service user with moderate and severe mental illnesses through investigative assessment processes and to use interpretive skills to understand complex behaviours and psychological function. To plan, monitor and deliver specialised programmes of care for the treatment of a case load of service users experiencing moderate to severe mental illness, with a level of complexity. To provide dramatherapy interventions, group or individual as appropriate through sensitive and expert application of arts therapeutic techniques to service users assessed as able to engage in therapeutic work, whether brief or longer term. Standardised outcome measures and evidence-based practice interpretation is part of this. To work with a time limited structured group model, in consultation with the Specialist Dramatherapist. To work to agreed activity standards including duration of intervention To be able to contain at time highly emotive and distressing clinical material (i.e. sexual abuse and other trauma). To enable the service user to disclose painful material, in order to progress the course of treatment where appropriate. To have the highly specialised skills and understanding to help service users in group and individual treatment, either brief or longer term, to disclose, process and resolve conflicts within themselves and with others. To fully engage in regular clinical supervision from the Specialist Dramatherapist and professional and line management supervision. Financial Responsibility Responsible for ordering materials in consultation with the Specialist Dramatherapist and Manager. Responsible for sourcing suitable affordable room space and liaising with the venue and line manager regarding costs and payment. Service Development and Improvement To contribute to the development and implementation of local protocols and procedures to support delivery of arts therapies including operational issues. To use outcome measures such as Dialog, CORE and goal-based outcome measure and service user rated measures to evaluate/audit the effectiveness of therapy for clients. To represent arts therapies at local forums. e.g. practice governance meetings. Collaborates with the multi-disciplinary team in reviewing the Arts Therapies Service, contributing to service development in liaison with the Manager, Specialist Dramatherapist and Professional Lead. Contributes to proposals for policy and service development for the MDT. Evaluates options for addressing these and contributes, as agreed with Manager, Specialist Dramatherapist and Professional Lead, in reviewing the service as a whole. Communications To communicate often delicate information with service users on individual or group treatment that requires high levels of tact and skill to enable service users to engage and progress in treatment. Need for working with highly developed communication skills to process highly charged emotions and enable service users to work through and complete treatment. To provide written/electronic records, reports, letters and reviews of assessment, treatment, and termination of services, to professionals and service users, as needed. To complete and update accurate clinical records including risk assessment and case review, throughout the course of dramatherapy/art therapy provision, for each patient. Physical Working Conditions and Environment To ensure that the practice environment is suitably maintained (equipment and rooms) for the services provided and that responsible officers are kept informed of unmet needs, risks and development To move furniture and specialised equipment as necessary to create safe and clinically effective environments for assessment and treatment. Information Resources Regularly inputs data and statistics into central information systems, and regularly operates computers and software, responding to e-mail communication, compiling reports and documents including therapy schedules and programmes. Compliance in maintaining secure use of IT and other filing systems Job description Job responsibilities As a clinician, the post holder provides and evaluates assessment and treatment services for adults referred for moderate and severe mental health problems with a level of complexity, and for those experiencing long term mental ill-health. They ascertain risk, needs and suitability for individual, group, other psychological therapies as a whole and specialist arts therapies, communicating with the whole range of other professionals involved. The post holder works jointly with professionals to deliver assessment and care consultation for the range of interventions, provides individual and group dramatherapy assessments and treatment and care coordination. To carry out initial assessment for the service. Analyses and clarifies factors or risk e.g. self-harm, level of functioning, capacity to engage in therapeutic work, unmet needs and support systems to determine the patients need and capacities to undertake the treatment. To provide specialised assessment with service users referred for the range of psychological therapies jointly with other arts therapies and psychological therapies to determine which service will meet their therapeutic needs. To make decisions and recommendations regarding the treatment of service user with moderate and severe mental illnesses through investigative assessment processes and to use interpretive skills to understand complex behaviours and psychological function. To plan, monitor and deliver specialised programmes of care for the treatment of a case load of service users experiencing moderate to severe mental illness, with a level of complexity. To provide dramatherapy interventions, group or individual as appropriate through sensitive and expert application of arts therapeutic techniques to service users assessed as able to engage in therapeutic work, whether brief or longer term. Standardised outcome measures and evidence-based practice interpretation is part of this. To work with a time limited structured group model, in consultation with the Specialist Dramatherapist. To work to agreed activity standards including duration of intervention To be able to contain at time highly emotive and distressing clinical material (i.e. sexual abuse and other trauma). To enable the service user to disclose painful material, in order to progress the course of treatment where appropriate. To have the highly specialised skills and understanding to help service users in group and individual treatment, either brief or longer term, to disclose, process and resolve conflicts within themselves and with others. To fully engage in regular clinical supervision from the Specialist Dramatherapist and professional and line management supervision. Financial Responsibility Responsible for ordering materials in consultation with the Specialist Dramatherapist and Manager. Responsible for sourcing suitable affordable room space and liaising with the venue and line manager regarding costs and payment. Service Development and Improvement To contribute to the development and implementation of local protocols and procedures to support delivery of arts therapies including operational issues. To use outcome measures such as Dialog, CORE and goal-based outcome measure and service user rated measures to evaluate/audit the effectiveness of therapy for clients. To represent arts therapies at local forums. e.g. practice governance meetings. Collaborates with the multi-disciplinary team in reviewing the Arts Therapies Service, contributing to service development in liaison with the Manager, Specialist Dramatherapist and Professional Lead. Contributes to proposals for policy and service development for the MDT. Evaluates options for addressing these and contributes, as agreed with Manager, Specialist Dramatherapist and Professional Lead, in reviewing the service as a whole. Communications To communicate often delicate information with service users on individual or group treatment that requires high levels of tact and skill to enable service users to engage and progress in treatment. Need for working with highly developed communication skills to process highly charged emotions and enable service users to work through and complete treatment. To provide written/electronic records, reports, letters and reviews of assessment, treatment, and termination of services, to professionals and service users, as needed. To complete and update accurate clinical records including risk assessment and case review, throughout the course of dramatherapy/art therapy provision, for each patient. Physical Working Conditions and Environment To ensure that the practice environment is suitably maintained (equipment and rooms) for the services provided and that responsible officers are kept informed of unmet needs, risks and development To move furniture and specialised equipment as necessary to create safe and clinically effective environments for assessment and treatment. Information Resources Regularly inputs data and statistics into central information systems, and regularly operates computers and software, responding to e-mail communication, compiling reports and documents including therapy schedules and programmes. Compliance in maintaining secure use of IT and other filing systems Person Specification QUALIFICATIONS/EDUCATION/TRAINING Essential Good Honours degree in relevant subject and relevant work experience M.A. (or equivalent) Dramatherapy Registered with Health and Care Professions Council as a Dramatherapist (HCPC) Desirable Full member of BADth (professional body) PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE Essential Experience of providing a range of therapeutic interventions including: assessment, inpatient and outpatient work, individual and group work, exploratory and supportive Experience of working with people with a range of mental health problems including difficulties regulating emotions, personality disorder and psychosis, and experience of trauma Experience of working within an MDT Desirable Experience of engaging younger aged adults Experience of/skills in facilitating online dramatherapy SKILLS/KNOWLEDGE/ABILITY Essential A sound understanding of the theoretical issues connected to severe mental health problems, mental health diagnostic criteria and dramatherapy. COMMUNICATION SKILLS Essential Ability to communicate effectively in a highly emotive atmosphere, to overcome patients' psychological resistance to personal disclosure and potentially threatening information, e.g. child protection and self-harm Good communication skills: verbal & written, including presentations Computer competency, including knowledge of electronic care records, email, word processing and audit tools. ANALYTICAL SKILLS Essential Highly developed knowledge of and skills in assessing clients for arts psychotherapies and/or other treatment interventions, including risk assessment and contributing to diagnosis Highly developed skills in the application of psychodynamic formulations and theory to work with individuals, groups and teams Able to analyse and consider a variety of complex issues and to adapt the treatment to service user's level of functioning and needs, considering the history and context in which they are a service user, including risk Person Specification QUALIFICATIONS/EDUCATION/TRAINING Essential Good Honours degree in relevant subject and relevant work experience M.A. (or equivalent) Dramatherapy Registered with Health and Care Professions Council as a Dramatherapist (HCPC) Desirable Full member of BADth (professional body) PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE Essential Experience of providing a range of therapeutic interventions including: assessment, inpatient and outpatient work, individual and group work, exploratory and supportive Experience of working with people with a range of mental health problems including difficulties regulating emotions, personality disorder and psychosis, and experience of trauma Experience of working within an MDT Desirable Experience of engaging younger aged adults Experience of/skills in facilitating online dramatherapy SKILLS/KNOWLEDGE/ABILITY Essential A sound understanding of the theoretical issues connected to severe mental health problems, mental health diagnostic criteria and dramatherapy. COMMUNICATION SKILLS Essential Ability to communicate effectively in a highly emotive atmosphere, to overcome patients' psychological resistance to personal disclosure and potentially threatening information, e.g. child protection and self-harm Good communication skills: verbal & written, including presentations Computer competency, including knowledge of electronic care records, email, word processing and audit tools. ANALYTICAL SKILLS Essential Highly developed knowledge of and skills in assessing clients for arts psychotherapies and/or other treatment interventions, including risk assessment and contributing to diagnosis Highly developed skills in the application of psychodynamic formulations and theory to work with individuals, groups and teams Able to analyse and consider a variety of complex issues and to adapt the treatment to service user's level of functioning and needs, considering the history and context in which they are a service user, including risk Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions. Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab). From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab). UK Registration Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window). Additional information Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions. Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab). From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab). UK Registration Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window). Employer details Employer name Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust Address The Orchards Ashley Close Hemel Hempsted, HP3 8EH Ashley Close Hemel Hempsted HP3 8EH Employer's website https://www.hpft.nhs.uk/careers/ (Opens in a new tab)