Arts In Health Recovery Practitioner
Go back Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
The closing date is 30 April 2026
We are pleased to offer this exciting innovative opportunity to someone with skills and training in the creative arts and a passion for supporting people with their mental health and wellbeing.
The Arts in Health Recovery Practitioner will provide arts‑based groups and 1:1 sessions to support individuals' mental health recovery. They will assist interested individuals to access creative arts‑based or other community groups as they transition from Early Intervention and Primary Mental Health Services (EPMHS), for ongoing wellbeing, by building relationships with local community, voluntary and faith‑based groups and by providing navigation and support.
The post holder will be a core member of the enhanced primary care mental health multidisciplinary team and will carry out initial assessments for the team. Training will be provided.
The post is 3 days a week, based in Ware, covering the East and South East of Hertfordshire, primarily Bishop Stortford and Cheshunt.
The Arts in Health Recovery Practitioner will sit clinically under the arts therapies umbrella and will have access to arts therapies meetings, CPD and will receive clinical supervision from an arts therapist.
EPMHS is a multidisciplinary service providing early intervention and support for people with mild to moderate mental health problems. The team also supports people as they move forward with their life following a period of support with secondary mental health services.
Main duties of the job
To support individuals who experience mental ill health to access arts‑based interventions to aid and maintain their wellbeing and recovery. To do this by:
* Providing group arts‑based sessions for service users
* Supporting individuals to access arts‑based sessions in the local community by offering navigation and support to transition from specialist NHS services.
* Building relationships with local arts‑based and other community and voluntary services, to improve access to supportive interventions that can meet the needs of people who experience complex and/or enduring mental health problems. This may involve co‑production of interventions with external services, and provision of training.
* Supporting people who are struggling with being discharged from HPFT and are finding it hard to engage with third sector organisations and the wider community.
* Carrying out initial assessments to the Enhanced Primary Care Service, as part of the multidisciplinary team.
* Becoming an integral member of the HPFT Primary Mental Health Team, working closely with the Adult Community Mental Health services within HPFT, working in accordance with the recovery agenda, promoting its values and principles and having co‑production as a key guiding principle.
* Negotiating appropriate service provision to meet needs, requiring both clinical awareness and good knowledge of arts for health and wellbeing.
About us
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust is one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of ‘Outstanding’ from the Care Quality Commission.
Our family of over 4,500 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.
Job responsibilities
Key relationships
* Service users and carers
* Multidisciplinary HPFT secondary and primary care team
* Primary care staff such as GPs
* Third sector, voluntary and local community organisations and groups
* Arts Therapists in the adult mental health community services
* Local artists and arts practitioners
Clinical Responsibility
* Deliver arts‑based interventions with individuals or in group work to support a recovery pathway.
* Carry out initial assessments to the Enhanced Primary Care Service, as part of the multidisciplinary team.
* Work in a coaching manner, exploring ways of goal‑setting with people to help them achieve their ambitions.
* Work in a co‑produced and recovery focused manner, assisting people receiving services to transition more seamlessly through statutory and third sector mental health services and into the wider community.
* Apply experience of and specialist knowledge of available arts‑based interventions and resources provided to meet the differing needs of people receiving services.
* Engage people in conversations about their life, health, ambitions, goals and dreams to help them explore ways of achieving them.
* Undertake follow‑up conversations to ensure that people receiving services have been able to access appropriate services, and support clients with this as necessary.
* Assist people to make connections in the third sector organisation and the wider community, encouraging them to make contact and providing assistance if necessary.
* Work with HPFT teams, third sector organisations and the wider community to help people receive services feel more empowered to access arts‑based activities and resources of their choice.
* Work closely with HPFT teams and third sector organisations to assure a high standard of care for people receiving services and their carers.
* Work with arts therapists in the community teams, and other MDT workers, to identify service users who find arts‑based interventions helpful for their wellbeing and would like support to access these further. This may include service users transitioning from arts therapies.
* Work in partnership with other agencies to gain the best person‑centred / recovery outcomes for the individual.
* Work with and offer coaching to external organisations and community groups to develop arts‑based interventions suitable for people who experience mental ill health.
* Ensure good linkage to the Recovery College and ensure that all interventions are in line with a recovery educational philosophy.
* Signpost to groups, activities and services that can meet an individual’s needs.
* Organise and manage own caseload.
* Ensure specific targeted outreach to traditionally excluded/hard‑to‑reach groups.
* Be familiar with the ethos of third sector organisations and be willing to be physically based in primary care, the third sector and other community services as needed.
* Conduct outreach, promotion and capacity building work within designated communities to identify arts‑based resources that may be of interest to people receiving services and their carers.
* Develop a wide range of information about community arts‑based resources in the form of leaflets, information packs, online resources and telephone numbers.
* Ensure that all duties are carried out to the highest possible standard and within current quality initiatives within the area of work.
* Identify, record and use relevant performance data for monitoring and evaluation.
* Interpret and use continual feedback from service users, carers, commissioners and other providers to adapt the team to meet the needs of the people they work alongside.
* Participate in promoting quality through development of collaborative, innovative and co‑produced recovery approaches to health care delivery.
* Adhere to Trust policies and procedure.
* Carry out any other duties as appropriately identified by the line manager.
Leadership and Staff Management Responsibility
* Represent the EPMHS at meetings as delegated by the Team Manager.
* Order materials through the Trust’s procurement system.
Service Development and Improvement
* Under the leadership of the Arts Therapies Professional Lead, work to evaluate the effectiveness of the Arts in Health Recovery Service.
* Under the supervision of the Arts Therapies Professional Lead, collate evidence for service gaps and provide recommendations for ongoing development or service provision.
* Co‑facilitate or facilitate teaching and training sessions for staff, professionals, people receiving services and carers on specialist subject areas.
* Support the development of HPFT and third sector pathways and contribute to ensuring seamless transition between services for the person receiving services.
* Facilitate research, service evaluation and clinical audits as agreed with their supervisor.
* Use research in practice and develop research work from own practice.
* Keep up to date with related arts in health research and developments in the field.
* Collaborate with other team members in the design and implementation of audit and research projects.
Analytical and Judgement Skills
Demonstrate an understanding of the Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act and the Care Act. The post holder will also have an understanding of the Safeguarding Adults procedures. Make judgements involving complex facts and or situations which require analysis. Make judgements where the situation is not straightforward such as those where information is limited or difficult to obtain. Make judgements where there are a range of options available. Assess or interpret information to make a judgement. Make judgements where expert opinion may differ or be conflicting.
Physical Working Conditions and Environment
* Work across and travel to different locations.
* Ensure that the practice environment is suitably maintained (equipment and rooms) for the services provided and that responsible officers are kept informed of unmet needs, risks and developments.
* Move furniture and specialised equipment as necessary to create safe and effective environments for interventions, including transporting equipment between buildings.
* Be responsible for the selection of equipment, requesting funds from budget holder, receiving the order and maintaining a high standard of equipment at all times.
* Be responsible for sourcing and assessing suitable community spaces for arts‑based interventions.
Information Resources
* Create accurate and detailed written records of contacts on the electronic record system (EPR) within the appropriate time scale.
* Use System 1, EMIS, Paris and any other electronic patient record system required.
* Gather, analyse and report a range of data and information in regard to service evaluation and development.
* Maintain up to date electronic records of people that the post holder has had contact with.
Training & Development
Engage fully in regular management, professional and clinical supervision in accordance with good practice guidelines and Trust policy. Participate in the Trust’s annual appraisal process. Attend all relevant mandatory training as and when required to do so. Continue to develop own practice through CPD and keep up to date with developments in the field.
Protection of Children & Vulnerable Adults: promote and safeguard the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.
Incident reporting: report any incidents of harm or near‑miss in line with the Trust’s incident reporting policy ensuring appropriate actions are taken to reduce the risk of reoccurrence. Contribute to the identification, management and reduction of risk in the area of responsibility. Ensure day‑to‑day practice reflects the highest standards of governance, clinical effectiveness, safety and patient experience. Ensure monitoring of quality and compliance with standards is demonstrable within the service on an ongoing basis.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Upper second‑class honours Bachelor Degree in one of the arts OR Bachelor Degree in a health or social care related subject
Experience
* Experience of work with people with care and support needs in any environment
* Experience of facilitating arts‑based sessions/workshops/groups
* Experience of facilitating arts‑based session for people who are experiencing mental health difficulties
Skills
* Knowledge and skills in at least one art form
* Knowledge and understanding of the value and evidence base of arts for mental health recovery/wellbeing
* Skills in a second art form
* Knowledge of legislation related to mental health and social care e.g. Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act, Care Act
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Cygnet House 1 Old College Court, Priory Street, Ware SG12 0DE
£33,677 to £40,996 a year pro rata (inclusive of 5% HCAS)
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Part‑time, Job share
Reference number
367‑ACMS‑101210
Job locations
Cygnet House 1 Old College Court, Priory Street, Ware SG12 0DE
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