Arts Therapies Assistant

A unique opportunity has arisen for an Arts Therapies Assistant to join the dedicated Arts Therapies team within West London Forensic Services. In this role, you will support Art, Drama, and Music Therapists in delivering therapy groups across low and medium secure services for both men and women.

The role also includes facilitating therapeutic groups and supporting service users with entries to the Koestler Awards. You will receive regular supervision, participate in team meetings, engage in peer training and reflective practice, and collaborate closely with departments such as Psychology and Occupational Therapy.

We welcome enthusiastic, creative, and thoughtful applicants with a passion for the arts in therapy. Knowledge of Arts Therapies and psychodynamic approaches is highly valued. There is also the possibility for this post to be offered as a job-share or part-time, offering flexibility for the right candidate.

In return, we provide a supportive environment with excellent opportunities for skill development and professional growth. Due to the volume of applications, this vacancy may close earlier than advised, so early applications are encouraged.

Under the supervision of Arts Therapists, this role involves preparing therapy rooms and materials and supporting sessions by helping service users communicate and express themselves through various art forms within a safe and containing environment. The post holder will contribute to electronic case records, liaise with multidisciplinary teams, and assist with audit or research projects.

The role also includes coordinating submissions to the annual Koestler Awards and developing and facilitating a therapeutic group in line with Arts in Health principles. It requires the ability to assess and manage risk in accordance with departmental policies and procedures.

This is a challenging yet highly rewarding role, demanding flexibility, resilience, and adaptability to meet complex needs while making a meaningful contribution to service users' wellbeing and creative development.

West London NHS Trust is one of the most diverse providers of mental health, community and social care in the UK. Our 3,982 staff care for people in hospital and in the community, helping them to recover and go on to lead full and productive lives. We aim to be the best organisation of our kind in the country.

We provide care and treatment for more than 800,000 people living in the London boroughs of Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham and Hounslow, delivering services in the community (at home, in GP surgeries and care homes), hospital, specialist clinics and forensic (secure) units. We're rated good overall by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Together, we're committed to promoting hope and wellbeing, working with patients, service users, carers, families and partners across the communities we serve. We are keen to ensure that our workforce reflects the community it serves, particularly in terms of ethnicity, gender, disability, LGBTQ and experience of mental illness.

The West London Forensic Service provides a comprehensive multi-disciplinary assessment, treatment and rehabilitation service for mentally disordered offenders, as well as those with challenging behaviour and specialist rehabilitation needs for men and women.

The Candidate Pack provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required. Please view as attached.

The person specification below is not the full person specification, but outlines the criteria against which your application form will be assessed. This advert closes on Thursday 5 Mar 2026.