The closing date for this job has now passed.

Job reference: 177644
Salary: Band 6 (£37,831 - £46,100)
Job closing date: 20/02/2024
Job Type: Other Therapeutic
Location: East Lothian Community Hospital
Employment type: Permanent
Hours Per Week: 15
Job posted date: 30/01/2024
Employer (NHS Board): NHS Lothian
Department: Older People

Job Advert

NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To this end, NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society.

This post requires the post holder to have a PVG Scheme membership/ record. If the post holder is not a current PVG member for the required regulatory group (i.e. child and/or adult) then an application will need to be made to Disclosure Scotland and deemed satisfactory before they can begin in post. 

**Please note we anticipate a high level of interest in this position and may close the vacancy early once a sufficient amount of applications are received. Therefore, please make sure you complete and submit your application at an early stage**   

Please note: As this post is part-time the salary will be pro-rata.


ARTS PSYCHOTHERAPIST (MUSIC) - 0.4 WTE Band 6 | 15 hours per week

CARE OF THE ELDERLY – EAST LOTHIAN COMMUNITY HOSPITAL (3 wards) + Care Home

An exciting opportunity to join the NHS Lothian Arts Psychotherapies Service – a team comprising of over 30 Arts Psychotherapists working across all age groups and all localities served by NHS Lothian.

What staff say about our team:-

  • ‘It’s been a wonderful rich experience I’ll always greatly value’
  • ‘My time working within the NHS Lothian Arts Therapies team has been incredibly rich and I have learnt so much.’
  • ‘I would like to thank you .. for the incredible opportunities you have provided me within the NHS, I have learnt so much during my time as a student and as an employee and feel very lucky to have worked alongside such an inspiring team.’

The Arts Psychotherapies Service provides Art, Music, Drama Psychotherapy services to children, young people, adults and older adults with complex needs across all of NHS Lothian and specific additional partners (i.e. local authority social care and third sector organisations). Arts Psychotherapies may be offered within NHS venues or other community facilities. 

For this role, Arts Psychotherapy is provided to the Inpatient Acute Psychiatric Services - “The purpose of the ward is to keep people safe whilst providing assessment and treatment from the multidisciplinary team and to help people recover and return to their life outside hospital”. NHS Lothian leaflet, 2023.

The successful applicant will be part of the Arts Psychotherapy team delivering care to three inpatient wards & a local care home. They will be expected to respond to the identified needs of patients and contribute to systemic care planning. The post-holder may also have opportunities to do other roles within the Arts Psychotherapy team as they arise.

This post may be of specific interest to clinicians with experience of working with older adults with complex and enduring mental health needs. Training and development opportunities and regular clinical supervision and line management will be provided by the Arts Psychotherapy Team. Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) registration is essential. We are looking for someone who is highly motivated and creative in their approach and has had previous experience of working with older adults using a range of verbal and non-verbal communication. The post holder will be expected to work independently using own initiative and as a team member, linking closely with other health professionals, visiting specialists, and families as appropriate.

If you would like an informal discussion, please contact:

Kate Pestell: Kate.Pestell@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk

Kassandra E’Silva: Kassandra.Esliva.scot.nhs.uk

W: Arts Therapies – NHS Lothian | Our Services

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