Band 7 Art Psychotherapist - Enhanced RECONNECT Service
Band 7
Main area: Secure Care and Offender Health Psychology
Grade: Band 7
Contract: 18 months (Fixed Term or Secondment)
Hours: Part time - 22.5 hours per week
Job ref: 436-6841403
Site: Phoenix House
Town: Birmingham
Salary: £46,148 - £52,809 per annum, pro rata
Salary period: Yearly
Closing: 02/02/2025 23:59
Interview date: 10/02/2025
Please note that this post may close earlier than the indicated closing date if a sufficient number of applications are received.
Job overview
We are seeking highly skilled, enthusiastic, and resilient Art /Music/Drama Therapists who are interested in working in the newly commissioned Enhanced RECONNECT service, supporting people with complex needs to reduce re-offending and take meaningful steps towards their recovery and rehabilitation.
Enhanced RECONNECT (ER) is an exciting NHS England initiative, and we are one of just four pilot sites across the UK. The service will support individuals with convictions who have been identified as high risk of harm to the public and have complex health needs which may impact on their risk of reoffending. ER will take a partnership approach to ensure that individuals leaving prison have their needs met to reduce their risk of reoffending, through providing coordinated intervention, support, and risk management across multiple agencies.
The ER service will be psychologically led and aims to support individuals to better understand and manage their risks, build upon their strengths, learn new skills, and identify and break down barriers to access existing community-based services, using a trauma-informed, formulation-driven approach with the person at the centre. This exciting role offers the suitable candidate the chance to contribute to the implementation of the ER clinical model, with opportunities to apply clinical expertise and forge new care pathways in the community with a range of non-NHS providers to a service user group who have traditionally been underserved.
Main duties of the job
You will work as part of a multidisciplinary team and will be responsible for providing a specialist Art/Music/Drama psychotherapy service to service users of the Enhanced RECONNECT service, presenting with a range of complex physical and mental health conditions and complex trauma histories. You will be responsible for ensuring that high-quality, individualised care is delivered safely, promoting recovery and maximising independence for service users. You will apply your clinical expertise to offer interventions to service users for up to 12 months post-release from prison. You will also work extensively with a range of partner organisations to ensure that individuals receive coordinated care.
The successful candidate will have extensive experience of working with adults with mental health presentations, psychological difficulties, neurodiversity, and complex needs and risks across a variety of forensic mental health settings, including community, inpatient services, and prisons. Experience of partnership working across health, social care, voluntary sector, employment, and criminal justice agencies, and of working with underserved groups would be an advantage.
The post holder will receive professional support from the Head of Arts Psychotherapies, specialist clinical supervision, and the opportunity to network with over 20 arts psychotherapists employed within our organisation on a regular basis.
Working for our organisation
Welcome to Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust. Our 4000 clinical and support staff help us to improve mental health wellbeing and meet the needs of the 70,000 people we serve each year. We provide a range of mental healthcare services across Birmingham and Solihull, as well as specialised services nationally. We also offer medical, nursing, and psychology training and are proud of our international reputation for both research and innovation.
Our population is culturally diverse, characterised in places by high levels of deprivation which create an increasing demand for our services and a necessity for us to make sure everyone can access the help they need. We are a team of compassionate, inclusive, and committed people working together to provide excellent care to support our community. If you are looking for a place to belong, where you can make a real difference to people’s lives, join our team where our warm welcome is waiting for you.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For further information about the main responsibilities please view the attached job description and person specification.
Person specification
Qualification
* Postgraduate accredited Masters Degree in Art Psychotherapy
Experience
* Experience of delivering specialist art psychotherapy assessment and interventions in the field of mental health
* Experience of delivering clinical supervision to qualified or trainee art psychotherapists
* Experience of delivering specialist arts psychotherapies assessment, specifically art/music therapy and interventions in the field of mental health
* Experience of delivering group Art Psychotherapy/ Music therapy and an understanding of group dynamics and processes
* Experience of working effectively with people whose behaviours and beliefs may be perceived as challenging
Our Trust is committed to treating individuals fairly and ensuring they have the same opportunities to fulfil their potential, even if this means doing things differently for different people sometimes. We are working hard to ensure our workforce reflects the diversity within Birmingham and Solihull and that our services meet the needs of all diverse service users and carers.
The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. As part of our safe recruitment practice, pre-employment checks will be undertaken before any appointment is confirmed. As part of the selection process, you may be required to undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check; however, all cases of criminal record history are dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
Please note, if applicable for your role, you will be required to cover the cost of your DBS certificate. This will be deducted from your salary over 3 months. You will also be required to sign up to the DBS Update Service before commencement with the Trust.
All successful applicants will be required to complete the Trust’s induction programme. The Fundamental (Statutory and Mandatory) training will be in an e-learning format. You will be required to complete training modules online (approx. 9-14 hours depending on post) by the end of your first week with us.
If you are successful at the shortlisting stage of the recruitment process, we may contact you via email to advise you of the interview details. Please ensure you access your email account from which you applied regularly once the position has closed.
If applicable to your role, the Trust will require you to sign up for the DBS Update Service. The Trust will reimburse this. You will be contractually obliged to maintain your subscription.
Applications from job seekers who require sponsorship to work in the United Kingdom (UK) are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. Please note that from January 2021, to work in the UK all candidates who are not UK or Republic of Ireland (RoI) nationals require sponsorship unless you have permission to work via another route.
Not everyone needs a ‘Skilled Worker’ visa. If you are applying for a vacancy in health or adult social care, check if you’re eligible to apply for the Health and Care Worker visa instead. It’s cheaper to apply for and you do not need to pay the annual immigration health surcharge.
Relocation expenses may be reimbursed subject to eligibility. The policy provides for reimbursement up to £8,000.
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.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Name: Chloe Whatson
Job title: Principal Forensic Psychologist
Email address: chloe.whatson@nhs.net
Telephone number: 0121 301 6800
Additional information:
The post will be based at the Phoenix Centre in Erdington. There will be a requirement to travel to prisons, and therefore access to a car is necessary. Whilst this post is for a fixed term to cover the duration of the pilot project, there is potential that this may be extended beyond 18 months. For internal applicants within BSMHFT, the post can be offered as a secondment if agreed by the releasing manager. For an informal discussion please contact Dr. Chloe Whatson at chloe.whatson@nhs.net.
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