Main area Arts Therapies Grade Band 7 Contract Permanent Hours Part time - 26.25 hours per week (Tuesday essential) Job ref 367-ACMS-101642
Site Centenary House Town Hitchin Salary £49,387 - £56,515 per annum, pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 06/10/2026 23:59 Interview date 05/11/2026
Values Based Screener
At Hertfordshire Partnership Foundation Trust we are looking for people to join us who share our values and those of the NHS. Before your application can be considered please take part on our online values questionnaire, which you can find below. When you have finished you will be sent a 'completion code' by email, which will be valid for 6 months and required to submit your application form.
This role is for a dramatherapist working with adults, with complex psychological needs within the community. This post is within a long established Arts Therapies Department and community team based in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, and is an integral part of the wider adult community mental health team.
We are seeking a highly motivated drama therapist to join this well- established department administratively and clinically based in Hitchin. This post is open to experienced, qualified, dramatherapists with specialist experience in the clinical area of complex psychological needs including Schizophrenia and Psychosis. Experience of working within the NHS would also be welcomed.
The post holder will hold an active caseload offering both individual and/or group dramatherapy. This post is well supported in terms of space, equipment, CPD opportunities, managerial, clinical and peer supervision as well as being a part of the trust wide arts therapies service.
Post is for 3.5 days but would consider 3 days
This post is part of the services provided by Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust.
Main duties of the job
The main duties of this post are:
responsibility for a caseload, offering both individual and/or group dramatherapy
being an integral member of the Arts Therapies Team, assisting with allocations, service development, governance issues, communication and liaison with the MDT.
Band 7 responsibility will include when appropriate and possible: provision of clinical supervision and offering trainee placements.
Working for our organisation
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust is one of the top mental health trusts according to the Care Quality Commission.
Our family of over 4,000 members of staff provide health and social care for people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. Everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout:
Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
To work as an autonomous clinical specialist within a multi-disciplinary team (MDT) in Hitchin, Hertfordshire; and provide expertise and consultation in providing psychological assessment and treatment, informed by an understanding of psychodynamic theory, of highly emotive individuals in the community.
To assess, plan, undertake and evaluate dramatherapy as appropriate through group and/or individual sessions, in accordance with service user care plans and contribute to MDT review processes.
. The main responsibilities of this post are:
- The assessment, planning, implementing and evaluating of both individual and/or group Dramatherapy sessions for community and where clinically appropriate.
- The completion of risk assessments and other clinically related information as directed by Trust policy and procedure.
- Integration and attendance to primary MDT meetings.
- To be available to clinically supervise other dramatherapists as required.
The successful applicant will join an enthusiastic, passionate and dedicated MDT . They will be based in Hitchin, Hertfordshire , and have access to dedicated arts therapies room and an office space. Days can be negotiated, but the availability of space will be given due consideration, but working on a Tuesday is essential. Each member of the wider team has regular peer supervision sessions, team meetings and allocations meetings as well supportive conversations around the 'kettle'. We also benefit from having an Arts Therapies Trust lead and good working relationships with the other arts therapies across the different Trust Services. The successful applicant will join a Team that holds and demonstrates the overall Trust values of 'welcoming, kind, positive, respectful and professional' everyday and in all that they do for the Service Users referred to the Department.
Please refer to the job description for the additional responsibilities required for the Band 7 role.
Person specification
Essential and Desirable
- Good honours degree in Drama/Associated Subject
- MA in Dramatherapy or equivalent
- State Registration with HCPC
- Dramatherapists must have a working knowledge/experience of clinical settings prior to acceptance for their professional training
- Band 6-7 Minimum 1 trainee clinical practice experience of specialist client group, i.e. Learning Disability, dual diagnosis, in either community or in-patient settings
- Experience of both individual and group work.
- Experience of MDT working on placement.
- Band 7 Clinical practice experience of specialist client group, i.e. Learning Disability, dual diagnosis, in either community or in-patient settings
- Student based Research skills and demonstration of specialist clinical interest within the LD Service User population.
- Band 7 - Research skills and demonstration of specialist clinical interest within the LD Service User population.
- Experience of working with people with disturbed and distressing behaviours
- Student/Placement Experience of audit and research
- Knowledge of Service User related issues, e.Depression, Sexual Abuse/Trauma, Sexual Offending and Family Dynamics
- Knowledge and experience of Evidence Based Practice and of outcomes systems
- Band 7 - Clinical Supervision Training suitable for arts therapies .
Please note, we do not charge fees for job applications, recruitment processes, sponsorship arrangements, or employment offers. Please see the Trust careers vacancy webpage and Trac as the only authorised routes for recruitment communications, applications and verification of job offers.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Name Gerald Maiello Job title Principal Dramatherapist Email address gerald.maiello@nhs.net Telephone number 07979933540 Additional information
Informal telephone calls or site visits are welcome.
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