Music/ Art/ Drama Therapist

Harrogate, Horsforth, Halifax, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom

The Oakdale Group

Oakdale provides a number of services including Interventions for families where there is an adopted, fostered or SGO child, Neuro-Developmental Assessments, Building Underdeveloped Sensorimotor Systems (BUSS) for children who have experienced developmental trauma, Psychotherapy in Schools, Independent Psychology and Psychotherapy Services, Improving Access to Psychological Therapy (IAPT) Services and Specialist Psychological Therapy and Trauma Services for NHS staff.  Most of our services are commissioned by the NHS or Local Authorities.  

Oakdale has Clinical Centres in Horsforth and Farsley in Leeds, in Harrogate, and in Halifax and also delivers services from consulting rooms in York, Selby, and Skipton. Most of Oakdale’s services are currently delivered in the North of England, although some are now provided nationwide using online platforms.      

Oakdale’s outstanding multidisciplinary clinical team consistently receives excellent feedback from clients and commissioners.  Oakdale values its clinical and administrative teams and strives to ensure that both our clients and our colleagues are at the heart of all that we do.  Oakdale’s approach is collaborative, reflective, and transparent.  We seek to work in partnership with clients and commissioners to achieve excellent clinical results and have in place a commitment to measuring outcomes, seeking feedback from all stakeholders, providing good value services, and having in place processes for continuous improvement.

Oakdale’s Adoption Support Service

This service was developed approximately eight years ago in response to a demand in North, South and West Yorkshire and the Humber for clinical interventions for adopted children and their families, and children who are subject to a Special Guardianship Order.  The service also includes referrals from Local Authorities for clinical support for children in foster care.

Most of our work is commissioned by Local Authorities through funding from the Adoption Support Fund (ASF)

The service has grown significantly year on year and Oakdale now has approximately thirty-five clinicians in the team, some are employed and others are associates who work on a sessional basis.  Oakdale has become a respected provider in this field and is well-regarded for the following:

• Delivering a flexible, collaborative service to meet the particular needs of each client or young person and their family

• Providing Specialist Assessments designed according to the needs of the child

• Having a Neuro-Developmental Psychology team that contributes towards the assessments and interventions as required, including the innovative provision of a joined up assessment process to include assessments for autism, adhd, developmental trauma, and attachment difficulties 

• Delivering BUSS interventions on a nationwide basis

• Having a multi-disciplinary team that provides a wide range of ASF approved interventions according to the specific needs of clients and within the ASF budgetary constraints. 

• Offering a service delivery model that provides appointments in usual office hours as well as during the evenings and on weekends

• provides interventions face to face and remotely (through telephone and video conference sessions) according to client preference and taking into account what is clinically appropriate

• Close and supportive collaborative working with our Local Authority partners and other stakeholders to ensure the best outcomes for clients.

The Role: 

• To work with adopted children by providing therapy funded by the Adoption Support Fund

• To work with parents, children and young people in a creative way in order to support their emotional and psychological wellbeing in their daily lives

•  To keep up-to-date clinical records

• To write in-depth clinical reports with clear formulations and recommendations for the families

• Complete all required outcomes testing programs including baseline measures, and upload to the database in the required timescales as required according to protocol. ·

•  To actively assess any safeguarding risks and report these immediately to the relevant persons.

• To keep up-to-date CPD records and to attend any training days provided by the organisation.

•  To report for case management within the required timescales and be fully prepared to discuss the current work. 

About you

• Hold an accredited Music, Art, or Dramatherapy Master’s degree

• Be motivated to work as part of a team and individually

• Experience working with the families of Looked After Children and will have an interest in attachment and trauma. 

• Be willing to attend further training to expand your skills. 

• Having an interest in the shared presentation of attachment, trauma and neurodivergence will be an advantage.

• To always maintain sensitivity to the emotional needs of clients/carers when imparting complex /distressing information regarding the nature of the client’s difficulties and the impact on individuals and their families.

•  Always maintain a high level of concentration in all aspects of client care.

•  To work within nationally agreed clinical and ethical guidelines of UKCP, BACP, IFT, BAAT, AP or HCPC or agreed equivalent and to follow their Code of Practice and Ethics

• To provide well-written and concise notes and reports 

• Resilience and reliability

• Good communication and organisational skills.

• A driving licence and access to a vehicle.

What we offer 

In return for the hard work and dedication from our teams, we offer the following benefits:

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays ( Pro Rata) (rising after length of service) 

• Regular case management and employee support

• Enhanced Occupational Sick Pay (OSP)

• Enhanced pension 

• Cycle to work 

• Fully funded flu vaccines

• Employee discount scheme

• Technology salary sacrifice scheme for home appliances, tablets, mobiles, TV’s, fitness trackers and more

• A supportive culture that values work-life balance including agile working and the option to apply for flexible working from day one.

• Ongoing CPD