About this role
Job summary
The Forensic Intensive Recovery Support Team (FIRST) is seeking an experienced Lead Art Psychotherapist to join our multi-disciplinary community team. This role offers an exciting opportunity to enhance creative therapy provision within forensic services and support individuals transitioning from secure care.You will provide specialist assessment, formulation, and evidence-based interventions using art therapy and other trained modalities (e.g. EMDR, MBT, CAT, CBT), delivering individual, group, and family work across FIRST and the wider Forensic Directorate. Your work will focus on improving psychological wellbeing, supporting risk management, and enabling timely discharge, particularly for those who may struggle to engage with traditional therapies.As a senior clinician, you will lead on the development of creative therapies, contributing to training, supervision, and service improvement in collaboration with professional leads. You will also play a key role within the MDT, contributing to care planning, risk assessment, and reviews, with occasional involvement in out-of-area assessments and on-call duties.This role is ideal for an HCPC-registered Art Psychotherapist passionate about innovation, inclusion, and improving outcomes within forensic mental health services.
Main duties of the job
1. Deliver specialist assessment, formulation, and art psychotherapy interventions (individual, group, and family), including use of additional modalities (e.g. EMDR, MBT, CAT) for individuals with complex needs and risk.2. Develop and apply psychologically informed formulations to guide intervention and care planning.3. Undertake risk assessments and contribute to psychologically informed risk management, advising the MDT on complex cases.4. Provide consultation, supervision, training, and clinical support to staff across FIRST and the wider Forensic Directorate.5. Support engagement for service users who may struggle with traditional therapies, including those involved in serious offending and/or presenting with high risk behaviours.6. Contribute to MDT processes including referrals, assessments, reviews, and care coordination where appropriate.7. Prepare professional reports and maintain clear clinical documentation.8. Lead and support the development of creative therapies, service innovation, and quality improvement initiatives.9. Promote psychologically informed practice across the service through teaching, modelling, and collaborative working.10. Participate in audit, research, and evidence-based practice development.11. Support staff development, student learning, and multidisciplinary training.12. Engage in team meetings, service development activities, and leadership responsibilities.
About us
Come and work with us at our award-winning NHS Trust, leading the way for trying new and better ways of working to help improve life for our local communities.
We have around 9,000 staff who provide physical and mental healthcare, support for people with learning disabilities, and adult social care across Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Shropshire, and Telford & Wrekin. We also run regional and national services, including help for new parents (perinatal care), eating disorders, forensic services, sexual health, and support for people in prison with mental health, drug, or alcohol problems.
We offer great career development for both clinical and non-clinical roles, with ongoing training and support to help you learn and grow.
We are 'United in our Uniqueness' and committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels welcome and can be themselves, no matter their background or identity. We want our staff to feel supported and valued, and we aim to build a team that reflects the communities we serve. Together, we can make sure every voice is heard, and every difference is respected.
Please note, we may be required to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications
Please be aware that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in completing application forms will be monitored to ensure fairness and transparency. If you have used AI you must state this in your application.
Job description Job responsibilities
1. Provide assessment, art psychotherapy and other trained psychotherapeutic/psychological interventions (e.g. EMDR, MBT, CAT etc.) on an individual and/or group basis for people with complex mental health difficulties and risk of harmful behaviour. People may have had difficultly in engaging in other forms of psychological treatment.2. Develops complex formulations of the clients difficulties, drawing upon the findings of highly specialised psychological/art psychotherapy assessments, relevant aspects of the case history and relevant psychological models, concepts and theory.3. Undertakes risk assessments from a psychological/art psychotherapy perspective and provides psychologically based programmes of risk management for service users and provides advice for other colleagues on the psychological aspects of risk assessment and management.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
MA in Art Psychotherapy BA Honours in Fine Art or related subject with demonstration to commitment to established practice of art. Full Registration with BAAT/ACP Full Registration with HCPC Evidence of post-qualifying continuing professional development relevant to one or more additional specialised areas of psychotherapeutic practice or psychological treatment. e.g. Psychodynamic Counselling therapy, CBT, CAT, MBT, EMDR etc.).
Desirable
Recognised Art Therapy Clinical Supervisor Additional post qualification training and development. Leadership qualification/training
Experience Essential
Significant demonstrable experience of working with services users with a range of mental health difficulties and risk presentations (including violence, sexually harmful behaviour and/or fire-setting) and maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse. Significant experience of working collaboratively within multi-disciplinary teams and across agencies, including risk management and public protection, alongside providing supervision, training, and contributing to service development and quality improvement.
Desirable
Experience of co-production with service users or carers, of training, quality improvement or other service initiatives. Experience of providing student and/or trainee placements. Research and development
Skills Essential
Understanding of complex mental health difficulties (including psychosis and trauma), neurodiversity and co-occurring needs (e.g. substance use, risk to self and/or others). Ability to develop and communicate well-reasoned clinical formulations, assessments and care-plans.
Desirable
Ability to make creative and therapeutic use of modern media for information, engagement and service development.
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.
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 Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Address St George’s Hospital, Stafford
Stafford
ST16 3AG
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.mpft.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)