Ministry of Justice

Overview of the job

This is a non-operational, prisoner-facing job within an establishment focusing on the therapeutic needs of prisoners.

Summary

The job holders covered in this job description are usually categorised as specialists in their field or those whose role requires significant additional experience, training and personal development.

The post holder will be a functional lead for the core creative psychotherapy service in operation across the establishment. The post holder will excel in the area of psychodynamic, psychotherapeutic or psychological models of treatment. They will also have experience in risk assessment or be a specialist in a specific area such as personality disorder, trauma, or working within forensic services. At this level, the post holder has responsibility for developing the diverse and expanding core creative psychotherapy service and integrating this service within the delivery of the therapeutic community intervention. In addition this will involve significant line management and managerial responsibility. The post holder will have significant expertise and experience in the delivery of the creative therapeutic disciplines such as art therapy or psychodrama.

The post holder will be the functional lead for the creative psychotherapist service within the establishment. They will provide specialist clinical input and advice within the therapeutic community setting, supporting operational staff and other clinicians in their approach to TC treatment. In addition to developing and integrating the core creative psychotherapeutic service which will include music therapy, psychodrama and art therapy, the post holder will be involved in the delivery of psychotherapy through a creative psychotherapy medium.

The job holder will be working with complex prisoners and a diverse multidisciplinary staff team. They will apply their experience and competence in the area of creative psychotherapies to reduce the risk of harm and reoffending by undertaking complex treatment with prisoners, coordinating research and evaluation and delivering training for staff and group interventions for prisoners. They will also have responsibility for delivering supervision, reflective practice sessions and staff training.

Delivery of Core Creative Psychotherapy services by the post holder will aim to address specific offence related issues in more depth, overcome blockages to progressing treatment, consolidate the work of the DTC and promote pro-social creative expressions of emotion.

This is a prisoner facing role with line management responsibilities.

Responsibilities, Activities and Duties   

The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:

•             To provide line management for up to 10 Core Creative Psychotherapists.

•             To provide the overarching professional lead for three diverse core creative modalities (Music Therapy, Art Therapy and Psychodrama) and be responsible for clinical oversight and direction.

•             To have an active clinical role in the delivery of Core Creative Therapies within the therapeutic communities.

•             To provide clinical input and oversight for the delivery of all CCP clinical assessments and CCP parole and clinical reports.

•             To be responsible for leading on meeting audit baselines for the delivery of all Core Creative Psychotherapies.

•             To collaborate with external partners to develop and implement research into the efficacy of Core Creative Therapies.

•             To lead on the development of Reflective Practice within therapeutic communities.

•             Provide CCP representation at all national TC Liaison meetings/conferences, as well as other prison wide affiliations.

•             Specialise in the clinical delivery of an accredited intervention (Democratic Therapeutic Community) ensuring that clinical requirements are adhered to and complement operational practice.

•             Facilitate Creative Psychotherapy group sessions, and facilitate large community meetings, supporting co-facilitators and other staff engaged in these processes.

•             Provide a specialist creative psychotherapy contribution to the adult male treatment service in the prison setting, working with men with significant offending behaviour and Personality Disorder referred to the Therapeutic Community, utilising information from a broad base of creative and complementary therapy theory and methodology and integrating it into a psychological formulation of the client in the context of their family and wider social context.

•             Ensures the integrity and effectiveness of the group sessions ensuring a range of professional standards are met in relation to the delivery of each session through oversight and supervision of other staff.

•             Ensures that the delivery of treatment complies with the requirements of the programme and remains consistent with the underlying theoretical models and prescribed delivery style.

•             Contribute to the effective implementation of the Democratic Therapeutic Communities accredited core model in the prison setting.

•             Deliver individual and group clinical supervision to members of the staff team, where required, and develop the clinical abilities of staff who deliver group therapy.

•             Be accountable for the conduct of those under their supervision.

•             Manage therapy group dynamics and support other staff such as officers to facilitate groups, providing clinical input and knowledge where required.

•             Promote clinical principles, supporting staff to put these into practice in the way they communicate with and work with one another, modelling TC values and culture for other staff on the unit.

•             Act as a ‘professional witness’ in parole board hearings, multi-agency meetings, and other formal settings where specialist input is required, such as re- categorisation boards. May also act as expert witness in respect of court proceedings for Ministry of Justice.

•             Provide clinical assessments of referrals to the creative psychotherapy service, ensuring that this assessment aligns with risk management and treatment plans.

•             Contribute to effective risk assessment and resulting risk management of complex, vulnerable or high risk prisoners, reporting on treatment and therapeutic progress in relation to criminogenic factors.

•             Develop and maintain expertise in the assessment and treatment of offenders and risk areas targeted by the programme.

•             Provide specialist advice to decisions relating to progress in treatment for residents on the TC, continuation or termination of therapy and therapeutic dosage.

•             Contribute to other offender management processes (usually with more complex cases in work such as Assessment, Care in Custody & Teamwork (ACCT) assessments and self-harm or personality disorder assessments).

•             Attend weekly clinical, community, staff team meetings, including administrative, assessment and academic meetings, and other service meetings as necessary for effective team working and service development needs.

•             Integrate into the Therapeutic Community, engaging in all aspects of its community life, abiding by the rules of the constitution in line with other members, staff and residents. Ensure all members of the team adopt this approach.

•             Ensure interactions between prisoners and staff is actively encouraged and constructive within the therapeutic environment.

•             Provide supervision, training, mentoring and support to trainee creative psychotherapists and those undertaking psychotherapeutic qualifications where required.

•             Ensure the clinical effectiveness of own practice and of service functioning by participating in audit and development activities relevant to the service area.

•             Remain informed of and critically evaluate current research to support evidence-based practice in own professional work and to contribute this perspective in the multi-disciplinary team.

•             Lead on the evaluation of the Service by working with colleagues in the design and development of service-related research and evaluation projects, as agreed with the Head of Clinical Services.

•             Provide a specialist contribution to the preparation for clinical external audit of the therapeutic community, including preparation of case studies, detailed self- reviews and liaison with external agencies such as the community of communities. Act as a peer-reviewer consultant to other Therapeutic Communities outside of the prison service.

•             Provide specialist reports when requested for prisoners and to submit within the appropriate time framework.

•             Maintain professional networks with other clinicians and TCs sharing best practice.

The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary. Significant adjustments may require re-examination under the Job Evaluation Scheme and shall be discussed in the first instance with the job holder.

Behaviours

•             Making Effective Decisions

•             Leadership

•             Communicating and Influencing

•             Working Together

•             Developing Self and Others

•             Managing a Quality Service

•             Delivering at Pace

Essential Experience

Qualification and experience in providing clinical supervision (preferably both group and individual).

Technical Requirements

Qualified and registered clinician with an associated and relevant professional body

e.g. BAAT, BACP and UKCP. This qualification will usually be a recognised post graduate qualification in Art Therapy (or similar) which would facilitate registration with the Health Professions Council (HPC).

Have undertaken further creative psychotherapy or mainstream psychotherapy training, usually at Masters level.

Ability

An ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence through the medium of English or (where specified in Wales) Welsh.

Hours of Work (Unsocial Hours) Allowances

37 hour working week.