Art jobs in Manchester

Art Psychotherapist – School-Based and Community Services

Location: Across Greater Manchester
Rate: £21.79 per session
Hours: Full-time and part-time opportunities available
Working pattern: Primarily Monday to Friday
Travel requirement: A valid UK driving licence and regular access to a suitable vehicle are essential

About the Role

ReconnectNow Ltd is recruiting a qualified and motivated Art Psychotherapist to join our growing Clinical Hub Team.

The successful applicant will hold and manage a clinical caseload across Greater Manchester, providing art psychotherapy to individuals referred through schools, community services and other agreed professional pathways.

The caseload may include children, young people and adults with a range of emotional, psychological, relational and developmental needs.

This role involves regular travel between schools and community locations. Applicants must be able to manage appointments across different areas of Greater Manchester and travel independently between locations.

About ReconnectNow

ReconnectNow Ltd is a trauma-informed mental health and therapeutic service supporting children, young people, adults and families.

Our Clinical Hub Team works collaboratively with individuals, families, carers, schools, social workers, health professionals and other members of the person’s support network.

We provide safe, creative and individually tailored therapeutic support that helps people express and process their experiences, understand their emotions, develop healthier relationships and improve their emotional wellbeing.

The Individuals We Support

The postholder may work with children, young people and adults who:

• Have experienced trauma, adversity or significant life events.
• Experience attachment or relationship difficulties and may benefit from relationally informed support.
• Experience emotional distress or challenges with their mental and emotional wellbeing.
• Communicate, express or process their thoughts, feelings and experiences in different ways.
• Have experienced care, kinship care, family disruption, loss or significant transitions.
• Have Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities.
• Are autistic, have ADHD, a learning disability or other neurodevelopmental differences.
• Experience differences in sensory processing, communication, social interaction, emotional regulation or executive functioning.
• Experience complex mental health needs or difficulties engaging with traditional talking therapies.
• Benefit from approaches that recognise and respond to their individual strengths, needs, preferences and ways of experiencing the world.

Main Responsibilities

The Art Psychotherapist will:

• Hold and manage an allocated clinical caseload across Greater Manchester.
• Assess each individual’s therapeutic needs, strengths and presenting difficulties.
• Plan and deliver individual art psychotherapy sessions.
• Plan and facilitate group art psychotherapy sessions where appropriate.
• Provide a safe, containing and confidential therapeutic space.
• Use a range of creative materials and therapeutic approaches, including drawing, painting, sculpture and other art forms.
• Support individuals to explore and make sense of their emotions, relationships, experiences and sense of identity through creative expression.
• Adapt interventions to the individual’s developmental level, communication style, preferences, capacity and therapeutic goals.
• Develop therapeutic intervention plans and review progress regularly.
• Observe and record presentation, engagement, therapeutic themes and responses during sessions.
• Evaluate the progress and effectiveness of therapeutic interventions.
• Maintain clear professional and therapeutic boundaries.
• Work within professional competence and scope of practice.
• Identify, assess and respond appropriately to clinical risks and safeguarding concerns.
• Seek advice, supervision or escalation where wider professional involvement is required.
• Produce clinical reports, progress summaries and professional correspondence when required.
• Participate in multidisciplinary meetings, case reviews, consultations and planning meetings.
• Work collaboratively with individuals, parents, carers, school staff, social workers, health professionals and other involved practitioners.
• Participate in clinical supervision, reflective practice, training and continuing professional development.
• Work in accordance with ReconnectNow policies, safeguarding procedures, information-governance requirements and clinical standards.

Working Across Schools and Community Services

The postholder will work across different organisations and settings while maintaining clear clinical responsibility, confidentiality and professional boundaries.

You must be able to:

• Organise appointments across several locations.
• Manage a clear and accurate professional diary.
• Plan sufficient travel time between appointments.
• Communicate promptly with individuals, families, schools and involved professionals.
• Work independently while remaining accountable to the Clinical Lead.
• Manage cancellations, timetable changes and competing priorities.
• Attend relevant professional meetings, reviews, training and supervision.
• Maintain consistent therapeutic boundaries across different settings.
• Recognise when consultation, safeguarding action or wider professional input is required.

Travel Requirements

Regular travel across Greater Manchester is a central requirement of this role.

Applicants must:

• Hold a valid UK driving licence.
• Have regular access to a reliable and suitable vehicle for work purposes.
• Be willing and able to travel between schools, client locations, community settings and professional meetings.
• Be able to manage a mobile caseload across different Greater Manchester boroughs.
• Arrive reliably and punctually for appointments.
• Organise their diary to account for travel time between locations.

Digital and Record-Keeping Requirements

ReconnectNow uses electronic systems to manage clinical records, referrals, appointments, reports, communication, policies and other operational requirements.

The successful applicant must be confident using:

• Computers, laptops and tablets.
• Electronic clinical-record systems.
• Online assessment and reporting forms.
• Email and Microsoft Teams.
• Digital calendars and appointment systems.
• Secure electronic communication and document-management systems.

You must be able to complete accurate and timely electronic clinical records, manage your digital diary, locate relevant documents and communicate professionally through electronic systems.

Essential Qualifications and Registration

Applicants must have:

• A recognised Master’s qualification in Art Psychotherapy.
• Current HCPC registration as an Art Psychotherapist.
• Evidence of continuing professional development.
• The right to work in the United Kingdom.
• Willingness to complete an enhanced DBS check and all required safer-recruitment checks.
• A valid UK driving licence.
• Regular access to a suitable vehicle for work purposes.

Essential Knowledge and Experience

Applicants must demonstrate:

• Experience delivering art psychotherapy to children, young people or adults.
• Experience assessing therapeutic needs and developing intervention plans.
• Knowledge of trauma-informed and relational practice.
• Understanding of human development across the lifespan.
• Experience supporting people affected by trauma, attachment difficulties, complex emotional needs or mental health difficulties.
• Knowledge of safeguarding children and adults.
• Understanding of relevant professional, legal and ethical responsibilities.
• Ability to assess and respond appropriately to risk.
• Experience maintaining confidential clinical records and producing professional reports.
• Ability to work autonomously while contributing effectively to a multidisciplinary team.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organisational, diary-management and time-management skills.
• Ability to communicate complex clinical information appropriately to different audiences.
• Competence using electronic clinical-record systems.

Desirable Experience

It would be beneficial to have:

• Experience delivering therapeutic interventions within schools.
• Experience providing community-based therapeutic services.
• Experience working with children, young people and adults.
• Experience working in special educational needs or specialist education settings.
• Knowledge of developmental trauma and attachment disruption.
• Experience supporting autistic individuals, people with learning disabilities, ADHD or other neurodevelopmental differences.
• Experience supporting people with complex mental health needs.
• Experience delivering individual and group art psychotherapy.
• Experience contributing to multidisciplinary case formulation and planning.
• Experience providing professional consultation to schools, families, carers or other professionals.

Personal Qualities

We are looking for someone who is:

• Compassionate, thoughtful and person-centred.
• Confident working independently.
• Highly organised, reliable and punctual.
• Able to establish positive and safe therapeutic relationships.
• Reflective and able to use clinical supervision effectively.
• Professionally curious and committed to continuing development.
• Calm and effective when managing complex situations.
• Respectful of confidentiality, autonomy, equality and diversity.
• Able to communicate sensitively with individuals, families and professionals.
• Proactive, resourceful and able to use initiative.
• Comfortable travelling and working across different environments.
• Able to manage the emotional demands of therapeutic work.
• Open to feedback and collaborative working.

Pay: £21.79 per hour

Benefits:

• Company pension
• Employee discount

Application question(s):

• Do you hold a valid UK driving licence and have regular access to a suitable vehicle for work purposes?
• Are you currently registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as an Art Psychotherapist?
• Do you have experience delivering art psychotherapy to children, young people or adults?
• Are you willing and able to travel regularly between schools, community locations and client appointments across Greater Manchester?
• Are you confident using electronic clinical-record systems, digital calendars, email, Microsoft Teams and online reporting forms?

Work Location: In person