Team Manager / Head of Arts Therapies

We are looking for an experienced and dynamic Arts Psychotherapist to take on a shared leadership role for an established arts psychotherapy team in the forensic directorate. The arts therapies are embedded across our services in the medium secure, low secure and forensic community services. The post holder will share the role with one of the existing part-time leads for a fixed term of 12 months to cover a period of maternity leave. Applicants may come from any arts psychotherapy modality and will link into the arts therapies leadership structure for East London NHS Foundation Trust. The Trust is an inclusive organisation and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds., 1. To be responsible for the overall provision of a specialist Arts Therapies assessment and treatment service for adults within the Forensic Directorate
2. To be responsible for all operational aspects of the Arts Therapies Service within the Forensic Directorate 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 Directorate Management Team, Trust Strategic Lead and Professional Leadfor Arts Therapies, and other Head Arts Therapists in the Trust.
4. To manage and supervise the Arts Therapists and trainee Arts Therapists across the Forensic 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 Forensic Directorate, 1. To be responsible for the overall provision of a specialist Arts Therapies assessment and treatment service for adults within the Forensic Directorate
2. To be responsible for all operational aspects of the Arts Therapies Service within the Forensic Directorate 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 Directorate Management Team, Trust Strategic Lead and Professional Leadfor Arts Therapies, and other Head Arts Therapists in the Trust.
4. To manage and supervise the Arts Therapists and trainee Arts Therapists across the Forensic 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 Forensic Directorate
Key Relationships
a) Head of Service
b) Associate Clinical Director for Therapies and Recovery
c) Directorate Management Team
d) Ward Managers
e) Trust-wide Strategic Lead and Professional Lead for Arts Therapies and Professional Leads
f) Head Arts Therapists
g) Services Users and their representatives/carers
h) Multi-Disciplinary Teams, Ward Teams
i) Links with appropriate community agencies
j) External Arts professionals
k) Voluntary and statutory organisations
l) Training and educational institutions/academic
m) Professional bodies for Arts Therapists, Policy/Service Development /Implementation
1. Implement all Trust and local policies and ensure that national policies and guidelines are translated as relevant to services.
2. Implement the Trust Arts Therapies service policies and procedures and standards in clinical practices regulator (HCPC or UKCP) and professional bodies
3. Act as an operational service manager and to be involved with local policy development to inform Arts Therapies service provision
4. Manage the Arts Therapies service including performance management
5. Contribute to the Trust-wide Arts Therapies service strategy in consultation with the Strategic Lead and Professional Heads of Arts Therapies
6. Develop the Arts Therapies service in a flexible, culturally sensitive and client centred manner, responsive to the ethnic diversity within the borough.
7. Actively encourage and ensure service user involvement in service development and ensure that service provision meets their needs and those of their carers
8. Provide professional consultation and input and represent the Arts Therapies service in local and Trust-wide forums
9. Cover as necessary relevant professional and service development meetings and groups, to contribute to directorate-wide training and clinical interest groups, contribute to the Trust-wide Arts Therapies Forum and outside agencies
10. Lead and co-ordinate quality improvement projects, audits and research activities in service evaluation and development
Financial/Physical Resources
1. Advise on budget resources with the oversight of Associate Clinical Director for Therapies and Recovery
2. Liaise with relevant service managers re business plans and budgeting requirements for the Arts Therapies services
3. Manage and monitor the budget for the ordering of Arts Therapies materials, props and instruments
4. Put in place and monitor policies and procedures to ensure the safe use of therapeutic stock and equipment in the line with health and safety requirements
Human Resources
1. Provide professional, managerial and clinical supervision and the implementation of annual appraisal of staff, ensuring that continuing professional development is maintained
2. Ensure own and Arts Therapists requirements for clinical supervision are met
3. Manage all HR requirements for the service, including recruitment, induction and staff leave (sickness, study leave, annual leave, etc.) for all arts therapies staff
4. Ensure all staff maintain state registration and comply with HCPC (for Art, Music and Dramatherapists) or UKCP (for Dance and Movement psychotherapists) and Trust requirements for CPD and mandatory training
5. Ensure the Arts Therapies service is recognised as a clinical training area for trainees and that standards are appropriate to meet the clinical requirements including the provision of high quality placement supervisors
Information Resources
1. Ensure effective mechanisms are in place to ensure own and other Arts Therapists documentation and patient records meet the minimum requirements and are adequately stored in line with Trust and professional guidelines
2. Ensure that clinical activity is accurately captured and recorded and manage service statistics, submitting them as per service requirements
3. Manage, delegate and execute administration tasks required for the smooth running of the Arts Therapies service, including staff records and procurement
4. Ensure that accurate and current service information is available to users and carers and to colleagues and to provide as necessary
Clinical areas
1. Plan and develop a range of specialist arts therapies interventions provided by all members of the team and ensuring clear communication and regular evaluation of these interventions in conjunction with the MDT
2. Manage a highly complex and specialist client caseload, including arts therapies assessments and interventions for individuals and group, for own clinical caseload and for managing the clinical work of others
3. Provide a specialised evidence based interactive and dynamic and treatment techniques which use a person's response to a variety of arts media within a therapeutic relationship
4. Independently to assess clients' psychological needs and identify any significant risk factors and collaboratively to undertake risk assessment with other professionals
5. Promote the empowerment of clients in relation to their holistic health
6. Evaluate the effectiveness of arts interventions in conjunction with clients/carers, other professionals etc
7. Oversee the provision of team advice, consultancy, teaching and training in relation to relevant client group/s and/or clinical areas
8. Support and develop arts therapies team members to deliver consultancy, teaching and training to relevant health professionals, service users, carers and other agencies as appropriate
9. Use management and clinical experience to advise arts therapies colleagues on working with clients with highly distressing and/or challenging behaviour
10. Produce clinical reports on a regular basis and disseminate to other involved professionals, agencies and the client
11. Record clinical information in the clients medical records pertaining to arts therapies assessment, interventions and progress
12. Promote and apply equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory interventions across the team that respect the clients' customs, values, and spiritual beliefs at all times
13. Develop and maintain links with relevant, statutory and non-statutory agencies throughout the forensic directorate with particular reference to wards, community services, recovery colleges, user-led initiatives, voluntary sector organisations and work, training and education services
14. Be responsible for maintaining on the clients' behalf an appropriate contained therapeutic environment as far as possible free from outside interruptions and disturbance
15. Ensure clients' clinical arts based work is securely, confidentially and accessibly stored. Also that all team arts work or recordings are safely and confidentially transported to external clinical supervision and review meetings
16. At all times to be aware of the need to maintain confidentiality in dealing with clients, their treatment and care.
Research, Quality Improvement and Development
1. Initiate and take a lead for evidence-based practice in service delivery
2. Manage and co-ordinate service activities related to clinical effectiveness / governance via audit, research and evidence based practice
3. Co-ordinate quality improvement, research and development activities and undertake a personal research and development programme, maintaining personal CPD portfolio
4. Ensure own professional development through regular participation in the supervision/consultation process and annual appraisal
Freedom to Act
1. Independently manage a caseload in response to client need and the changing remit of the service and supervise others to do the same
2. Independently to exercise professional and clinical judgement in complex cases
3. Consult with the Strategic Lead & Professional Head of Arts Therapies around project proposals related to Arts Therapies development in Forensic services
4. With the support of the Strategic Lead & Professional Head of Arts Therapies, initiate and manage projects relevant to the Forensic Directorate Arts Therapies service
Making Things Better
Quality Improvement is a key part of our work to improve our services and refine how we do things. We have a global reputation for our quality improvement work and we don't stand still! So we offer a fantastic opportunity for our staff to learn, lead and contribute towards improving our services.
We launched our Five Year Strategy in April 2018, which identified four main strategic outcomes to improve: population health outcomes, experience of care, staff experience and improve value. This complements the NHS Long Term Strategy and sets out our direction of travel.
Our Community
We provide a wide range of community health and mental health inpatient services to children, young people, adults of working age, and older adults in The City of London, Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets, Bedfordshire and Luton. We also provide psychological therapy services to the London Borough of Richmond, and provide Forensic services to the whole of North East London. We provide services in urban and rural settings, sometimes in our inpatient units, but mostly in the community close to where people live. Integrated care is key in making the best use of resources and providing effective care.
Aiming High
We were rated 'Outstanding' by the CQC in 2016, were proud to be rated 'Outstanding' again in 2018 and continue to be rate 'Outstanding' in 2021.. We were named in the HSJ's Top 10 best places to work in healthcare and were voted Provider Trust of the Year in 2018.
Staff and Service Users United
We strive to ensure that staff feel valued by the Trust and as they are truly pivotal in delivering better outcomes for our patients and service users. Our aspiration is to help to make ELFT the best place to work. This Trust is clinician-led and provides the highest possible level of clinical expertise throughout its services. We pride ourselves on our service user involvement. A service user will be on your assessment centre and interview panel if you are invited to meet us.
We especially welcome people with lived experience of health difficulties, with insight and understanding of different backgrounds, cultures and lifestyles in our population as we believe that this will equip staff to deliver a high standard of care to our service users and patients.
Diversity
ELFT Is committed to being a diverse organisation and our workforce is reflective of the population and communities we serve. We believe that having colleagues with a range of backgrounds and life experiences enriches and adds value to the outcomes we have set out to achieve. Having partnered and endorsed by organisations who are representative and experts in various areas of equality and diversity, we can ensure we are meeting the pre-set standards all the way from recruitment stage throughout the career journey of our employees by being accessible, having fair inclusive practices and a host of staff networks to support, nurture and celebrate our valued staff in the workplace.
Other reasons to apply
As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement whether that's job share, part time or another flexible pattern.
As part of the relocation scheme we presently have, the Trust could support you with offering up to £10,000 for removal and associated expenses. This is subject to change and terms and conditions apply.

ELFT has long been recognised as a centre of excellence for mental and health care, innovation and improvement. So it is a very exciting time for you to come and work for us. Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving 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., 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.