Creative Arts Therapist

As part of several very exciting developments, we are expanding our provisions and therefore delighted to announce the planned opening of a further independent co-educational school. The Grange School will provide learning and supportive environment activities for 60 primary and secondary aged children and young people from across Key Stages 2-4.

We are looking for a forward thinking, motivated and enthusiastic post-graduate qualified creative arts psychotherapist to join the team at The Grange School. You will be an appropriately registered psychological practitioner (e.g. HCPC) who can offer assessment, formulation and psychological interventions. You will have a passion for working with the most vulnerable young people, with children with learning disabilities and/or who have experienced trauma. You will understand how to work both directly and indirectly to support the network around young people and will join an organisation that is determined to offer bespoke, individualised and psychologically informed care.

You will be joining an established Integrated Therapies Team (ITT) which comprises clinical psychology, forensic psychology, counselling psychology, occupational therapy, counselling, creative arts psychotherapies and speech and language therapy. Our ITT adopt a trauma and attachment informed approach, including neurodivergent trauma and a neurodiversity affirming approach. We pride ourselves on offering high quality, evidence-based care to Phoenix Learning and Care services. The ITT are integral to the core values of the organisation and as a team we believe our therapeutic approach provides the people we support with the tools they need to overcome the obstacles they face in life.

Principal Responsibilities

• Responsible for clinical work as part of the Phoenix Integrated Therapies Team, representing the organisation by providing leadership, support and guidance to team members and the wider staff group and ensuring a young person focused service.
• Provide clinical leadership and practice at an advanced level demonstrating a high level of autonomy and clinical decision making. The role is a collaborative one working with individuals and groups across professional and organizational boundaries.
• Provide clinical interventions and assessment, responsible for the systematic measurement of outcomes ensuring a high quality, timely, accessible and evidence-based service is available to all young people who need it.
• Provide emotional wellbeing and mental health assessment and treatment services to children and young adults with a range of relevant complex needs, such as learning difficulties/disabilities, Autism, emotional social and behavioural difficulties and/or challenging behaviour.
• Deliver and supervise a range of therapeutic interventions, which may include parent work, group work, school/college observations of children and young people, short term inputs and specialist individual psychological treatments.

Person Specification

• Successful completion of a post-graduate training in creative arts psychotherapies.
• Further professional knowledge gained through accredited courses workshops, study and in-house training programmes (e.g. CYP-IAPT training).
• Registered as a full member of the appropriate professional body (e.g. HCPC).
• Experience of working with children and adolescents with co-morbid difficulties and special needs.
• Knowledge, skills and ability in working with a wide range of young people with learning, emotional wellbeing and mental health difficulties.
• Experience of psychotherapeutic work with children with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties, learning disabilities and/or children in care setting.
• Experience of initiating, organising and planning inter-agency meetings aimed at setting in place a treatment package tailored to the individual needs of the young person.
• Experience of providing professional teaching and training for other professionals
• Knowledge of the theory and practice of working with children with neurodevelopmental and learning disability needs.

For an initial and informal conversation please contact Dr Hannah Pittaway, Head of Therapies on hpittaway@plcl.org.uk.