Arts Psychotherapist

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen within Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust as part of the TC+ (Therapeutic Community) at HMP Gartree. This is a 12 bedded democratic therapeutic community providing specialist interventions for individuals with personality difficulties and Learning Disability and lower IQ. The service is part of the Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) Pathway and is jointly delivered by NHS and Prison partners.

Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust’s Specialist Services Care Unit provides specialist treatment to individuals with personality related difficulties at HMP Whatton and HMP North Sea Camp, in addition to a Therapeutic Community at HMP Gartree (joint NHS/ HMPPS), and also offers OPD services within Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire (community provision). We are keen to work with people who are interested in working across the local OPD pathway provision.

We are committed to working in partnership with Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), both with Prison and Probation colleagues; this service is a joint enterprise so relies on collaborative working. The successful applicant will be based at HMP Gartree and work closely with NHS and prison colleagues to deliver a joint service, and may support other OPD pathway service provision locally. We also work in partnership with other healthcare providers and our criminal justice system partners to improve health, support justice and reduce re-offending behaviour. The OPD Pathway Team truly believes it can make a difference to the lives of individuals in the criminal justice system by offering consistent, equitable, high quality services to service users. If this sounds like a pathway you would like to join- we would like you to be part of our team. You should be enthusiastic, motivated, patient focused and enjoy a challenge and ideally have experience or knowledge of an OPD service or the OPD pathway.

Main duties of the job

The TC+ operates within the same framework and model of mainstream Democratic Therapeutic Communities (DTCs) in prison. Every part of the living-learning experience of the TC is part of the therapeutic intervention and includes but is not limited to the following: Treatment consists of group therapy and structured community living.

Community members have shared responsibility for the day-to-day running of the community, decision making and problem solving. Key features are:

• Daily small groups and community meetings.
• Use of community activities to promote skill development and generalisation.
• Staff supporting the community in democratic decision making and providing pro-social role models.
• Staff and prisoners challenging and giving feedback about behaviour that is anti-social or linked to offending behaviour patterns.
• In addition to unstructured therapy groups, TC+ members attend semi- structured therapy sessions as part of ‘themed’ modules. Each module aims to address treatment need in a particular risk area (e.g. Criminal thinking module). TC+ utilises a slower pace of learning, higher staffing levels, shorter groups with smaller numbers and creative learning methods. Learning and information is displayed in written or pictorial form around the unit.
• Members engage in core creative therapies, such as art, drama and occupational therapy.

The successful post holder will work as part of a team approach to the assessment and treatment of individuals referred to the service, delivering the Art Therapy as part of the core creative therapy offer.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

See job description and person specification for further details relating to the Arts Psychotherapy post.

Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. The cost of the DBS application is £26.40 (standard) or £54.40 (enhanced), this cost will be deducted from your salary over the first 2 months of employment.

You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. An annual fee of £16 per year applies.

Please note that this post does not meet the pay level required for a Skilled worker visa.

Successful applicants with no prior NHS experience would normally be placed at the bottom of the band in line with Agenda for Change. This salary is below the minimum salary required for sponsorship for a Skilled Worker / Health & Care visa. In these circumstances the Trust would not, therefore, be able to sponsor for a Skilled Worker / Health & Care visa.

Applicants requiring a Skilled Worker Visa can determine the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship against the relevant criteria here https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa