Head of Dept job description

							MATCHED AT 8D

                                    JOB DESCRIPTION

                                Post Reference Number …


TITLE:                            Trustwide Head of Professions for Arts Therapies/Arts Psychotherapies

ACCOUNTABLE TO:                   Chief Executive, … Mental Health NHS Trust

RESPONSIBLE TO:                   Service Manager, Directorate of Psychological Therapies

RESPONSIBLE FOR:                  All Arts Therapists/Arts Psychotherapists and Psychodrama
                                  Psychotherapists in the Trust, including honorary therapists
                                  and trainees

KEY WORKING
RELATIONSHIPS:                    All Art Therapists/Art Psychotherapists, Movement
                                  Psychotherapists, Dramatherapists, Music Therapists and
                                  Psychodrama Psychotherapists within the Trust

                                  Service Managers, Business Managers and Clinical
                                  Directors. Other Senior Managers, Directors and Heads of
                                  Professions, Academics, Researchers and Carer and User
                                  Representatives within the Trust

                                  Arts Therapies/Arts Psychotherapies professional
                                  associations and Arts Therapies/Arts Psychotherapies
                                  training establishments. Academic and other research
                                  institutions and the Health Professions Council

                                  Department of Health, Commissioners, Allied Health
                                  Professions Leads in the local Strategic Health Authority and
                                  other SHAs, Local PCTs and other relevant external bodies
                                  and funders including charities. Mental Health and training
                                  institutions and professional associations overseas.

    Job Summary

             To be responsible for the strategic planning of Arts Therapies/Arts
              Psychotherapies services across the Trust
             To be involved with policies, environmental and physical redevelopment issues,
              service development and clinical governance across the Trust including services
              beyond the Arts Therapies/Arts Psychotherapies
             To be actively involved at a national level with Arts Therapies/Arts
              Psychotherapies professional, research and service developments

As follows:

    To be responsible for the strategic planning of Arts Therapies/Arts Psychotherapies
    services across the Trust, in keeping with national and Trust priorities and the financial
    climate. To ensure that such services meet professional standards, comply with
    legislation, government guidance and regulations. To ensure effective professional
    leadership for all Trust-wide Arts Therapies/Arts Psychotherapies staff and take overall
    management responsibility for the Arts Therapies/Arts Psychotherapies within the
    Directorate of Psychological Therapies inluding their financial management. To facilitate
    an evidence based practice and research culture within the Arts Therapies/Arts
    Psychotherapies across the Trust.
To be involved at a Trust corporate level with policy development including the writing of
Trust policies and procedures that impact across all disciplines and sites. To be actively
involved with environmental issues including acting as clinical staff representative in the
Master Planning process. To influence clinical practice, service development and clinical
governance across the Trust including services beyond the Arts Therapies/Arts
Psychotherapies

The post holder is to be actively involved at a national level with developments concerning
policies, ethics, training and registration within the Arts Therapies/Arts Psychotherapies
professions including the facilitation of evidence based practice and research and
contributing important information to national issues from an employers perspective.

A small clinical case load is maintained and regular clinical supervision is provided.



Key Results Areas


    1. Professional Responsibilities

a. Ensure that systems are in place to set, meet and monitor the standards of Arts
   Therapies/Arts Psychotherapies services Trust wide
b. Provide Arts Therapies/Arts Psychotherapies consultancy to managers and clinicians
   in all directorates across the Trust and take an active part in service planning and
   developments in those directorates
c. Advise on issues relating to conduct, capability and complaints that affect Arts
   Therapies/Arts Psychotherapies practice within all Trust directorates and act as
   investigating officer for serious and/or complex complaints
d. Represent the Arts Therapies/Arts Psychotherapies professions in relevant local,
   regional and national forums including the DoH, SHA and PCTs as well as the
   professional associations and union for each of the Arts Therapies/Arts
   Psychotherapies professions
e. Develop and implement a strategy for the effective and appropriate provision of Arts
   Therapies/Arts Psychotherapies services across the Trust giving consideration to how
   these can best be deployed as an integrated part of a mental health service of
   excellence
f. Advise the Trust in the development of its workforce plans and in designing strategies
   for the effective recruitment, retention and development of Arts Therapies/Arts
   Psychotherapies staff across the Trust and to be fully involved with recruitment
   procedures including advising on or chairing interview panels.
g. Similary to advise the Strategic Health Authority, through Allied Health Professions
   Forums, and the Workforce Development Confederation
h. Actively involved in the recruitment of senior Trust staff, e.g Service and Business
   Managers and Service Directors following reorganising of Trust management
   structure
i. Promote a culture within the Trust wide departments of effective communication and
   encourage/facilitate communication between the departments and with the rest of the
   Trust.
j. Promote a culture of respect for and celebration of difference including social, ethnic
   and professional cultures
k. Ensure that the Arts Therapists/Arts Psychotherapists Trust wide contribute to the
   planning of Arts Therapies/Arts Psychotherapies Clinical Governance initiatives and
   adhere to those implemented.
l. Keep abreast of current and new national and local requirements affecting the
   provision and development of Arts Therapies/Arts Psychotherapies services and to
   advise the Trust on changes which are required to ensure compliance.
m. An active member of Trust senior management forums, representing the Arts
   Therapies/Arts Psychotherapies Professions and/or the Directorate of Psychological
     Therapies e.g. the Trust Service Excellence Working Group and Policies and
     Procedures Group.
n.   Contribute to planning the Trust’s implementation of Nice Guidelines and represent
     the Arts Therapies/Arts Psychotherapies at Trustwide Psychological Therapies
     forums e.g new Psychological Therapies Committee
o.   Plan and implement any restructuring of the Arts Therapies/Arts Psychotherapies
     service within the Trust to meet the service, communication and management needs
     at times of change.
p.   Contribute to the development of Trust clinical and cultural identity in line with
     psychodynamic understanding through the development of policies, procedures,
     services and training initiatives. At times taking responsibility for the writing of policies
     impacting on the whole Trust
q.   Raise awareness of the Arts Therapies/Arts Psychotherapies Professions at Strategic
     Health Authority and Department of Health conferences and stakeholder events
     through active attendance and publicity.
r.   Network with Arts Therapies/Arts Psychotherapies services in other Trusts and
     overseas
s.   Undertake additional unspecified work relating to individual Trust projects e.g.
     Enhancing the Healing Environment, Trust Master Planning for the main hospital site
     as clinical staff representative and being required to give related presentations

     2. Managerial and Administrative Responsibilities

a. Active member of the Directorate of Psychological Therapies Management Board,
   contributing to the overall management and development of the Directorate
b. Responsible for the Arts Therapies/Arts Psychotherapies within the business planning
   process
c. An active member of other decision-making forums, particularly the Directorate Race
   and Culture Taskforce, Clinical Governance and Training & Education groups,
   representing the Arts Therapies/Arts Psychotherapies and contributing in general to
   Directorate initiatives
d. Delegated responsibility for Directorate staff’s adherence to Trust policies and
   procedures on behalf of Clinical Director
e. Responsible for sound management of all Arts Therapies/Arts Psychotherapies staff
   within the Directorate.
f. Line manage the Heads of the Arts Therapies/Arts Psychotherapies Departments
   within the Directorate of Psychological Therapies
g. Responsible for the planning and implementation of Directorate Arts Therapies/Arts
   Psychotherapies systems including procedures for processing Arts Therapies/Arts
   Psychotherapies referrals, treatment and discharges and Clinical Governance
   initiatives and data-collection
h. Responsible for the efficient and effective management of Arts Therapies/Arts
   Psychotherapies Department and Sutton Art Psychotherapy Department finances,
   providing the highest quality and widest range of services appropriate and possible
   within the resources. To hold the budget for all Arts Therapists/Arts Psychotherapists
   in the Directorate of Psychological Therapies and to delegate some responsibility for
   budget holding to heads of departments.


     3. Supervision/Education/EBP& Research

a. Establish a culture within the Trust wide departments where striving for continual
   improvement through clinical audit, research and continuous professional
   development is valued, encouraged and supported.
b. Establish and maintain a Trust wide support network for the promotion of evidence
   based practice. Seeking further support and resources within the Trust and through
   contacts with universities and other research forums, including the Art Therapy
   Practice Research Network.
c.   Initiate research projects, identify collaborators, make funding applications as project
     lead, in line with national and Trust research governance and ethics and national
     professional R&D agenda and manage any projects where bids are successful –
     including budget holding and financial management.
d.   Receive and respond to requests for collaboration with research projects being
     undertaken by other organisations, including multi-centre projects, judging the
     suitability and impact on Trust services of any such involvement.
e.   Ensure clear lines of professional accountability within the Arts Therapies/Arts
     Psychotherapies professions across the Trust. This includes advising on, and making
     an active contribution to, clinical supervision, continuing professional development
     and appraisals
f.   Ensure that the Trust is recognised as a positive environment for the placement of
     trainee Arts Therapists/Arts Psychotherapists irrespective of the directorate in which
     they are placed
g.   Take overall responsibility for planning and implementing formal study/training events
     requested by internal and external bodies including Trust multi-disciplinary teams, the
     Royal College of Psychiatrists and overseas visitors
h.   Teach in schools and on nurse and medical training courses by arrangement
i.   Provide both written and informal information about the Arts Therapies/Arts
     Psychotherapies for colleagues within the Trust, for users and carers and for
     interested individuals from outside the Trust.
j.   Take part in relevant seminars, presentations and conferences, to promote
     understanding about the Arts Therapies/Arts Psychotherapies and encourage Arts
     Therapists/Arts Psychotherapists Trust wide to do the same.
k.   Provide organisational consultancy and facilitate multi-disciplinary team away days,
     team building days
l.   Facilitate Arts Therapists/Arts Psychotherapists in supporting other professions
     through their psychodynamic,metaphoric and symbolic understanding
m.   Supervise Arts Therapists/Arts Psychotherapists who provide clinical supervision for
     other disciplines
n.   Encourage income generation through the running of Arts Therapies/Arts
     Psychotherapies conferences and other teaching sessions
o.   Hold the budget for Trustwide Arts Therapists/Arts Psychotherapists’ training and
     CPD
p.   Establish and maintain links with training organisations to actively contribute to
     developments and changes in Arts Therapies/Arts Psychotherapies trainings
q.   Provide consultation in relation to the revalidation of training courses
r.   Liaise with Arts Therapies/Arts Psychotherapies training establishments and have
     overall responsibility for the management and organisation of clinical placements for
     trainees.
s.   Plan and implement own professional development by organising and participating in
     relevant training events and maintain own CPD folder in line with professional
     organisation’s requirements and the Health Professions Council.
t.   Maintain sensitivities and proficiencies in arts media as required to practice.
u.   Attend line management meetings.


     4. Clinical

a. Overall responsibility for the quality of clinical work undertaken by the Arts
   Therapists/Arts Psychotherapists across the Trust
b. Ensure own ethical practice by working within the professional association’s (BAAT
   and BCP) professional code of ethics and guidelines for clinical practice and abiding
   by the Health Professions Council’s and Confidentiality policies.
c. Adhere to Clinical Governance policies and procedures
d. Provide consultancy on service developments, clinical practice and clinical
   governance and be an active member of the Trust Service Excellence Working Group
   and the NICE Guidelines Implementation Group.
e. Maintain a small clinical caseload, working independently with patients formally
   referred to one of the Arts Therapies/Arts Psychotherapies departments, in response
      to service needs (frequently involving the use of sign language) to include the
      assessment of patients and the planning and provision of Art Therapy/Art
      Psychotherapy in the form of group and/or individual therapy. To undertake ongoing
      evaluation of patients’ progress and to manage therapy endings and follow up. To
      engage in effective multi-disciplinary clinical liaison. To contribute to patient reviews,
      clinical meetings and case conferences.
   f. Maintain accurate patient records including clinical note keeping, report writing, data-
      collection and eCPA in accordance with relevant national and Trust policies.
   g. Take an active part in own clinical supervision.
   v. Give regular clinical supervision to qualified and experienced Arts Therapists/Arts
      Psychotherapists and to provide clinical supervision to staff from other disciplines
   w. Act as Child Protection Lead for the Arts Therapies/Arts Psychotherapies within the
      Directorate of Psychological Therapies

   General

      This is not an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities, and the post holder
       may be required to undertake other duties which fall within the grade of the job,
       in discussion with the manager.

      This job description will be reviewed regularly in the light of changing service
       requirements and any such changes will be discussed with the post holder.

      The post holder is expected to comply with all relevant Trust policies,
       procedures and guidelines, including those relating to Equal Opportunities,
       Health and Safety and Confidentiality of Information.
      … Mental Health NHS Trust operates a no smoking policy.


25.2.2005