Drama Therapist - self employed - 1 to 2 days per week

General information

Hopewell School in an independent specialist SEMH School based in East London. At Hopewell we are expanding our successful Therapy Department and are hoping to recruit a several part-time positions, one of them for a proactive and enthusiastic Occupational Therapist (hours, days and salaries to be agreed with the successful candidates). 

Hopewell has two sites; the school is situated in Dagenham and provides education for pupils aged 7 to 19 years who have EHC Plans. Our second site is motorvations@hopewell which is a specialist vocational centre based in Romford and offers a range of vocational experiences, courses and qualifications.

Children and young people come to Hopewell for a number of reasons. The majority of which are associated with young people struggling with the challenges of ASD, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, opposition defiance disorder and conduct disorder. Others have suffered traumatic experiences which have impacted on their learning and behaviour.

To support the pupils’ individual needs Hopewell, have a team of specialist therapeutic staff who are based on the school site. They work with the young people and their families/carers in a number of ways, through individual therapeutic work, group and family work as well as leading on targeted interventions across the school.

By empowering our pupils, building their self-confidence and enabling them to develop their individual strengths we endeavour to provide them with the skills they need to lead constructive and fulfilling adult lives.

The post

This part-time post is suitable for practitioners looking to extend their clinical experience within the field of Autism, Learning Disabilities, Emotional/behavioural/social Difficulties as well as Trauma, and work within a specialist educational setting. 

The selected candidate will be required to work closely with the other professionals providing support to students; reporting to the Head of Therapy.

At least two years’ experience within this field in a relevant setting is advisable as you will need to feel confident working as the only Drama Therapist within the therapy team. 

JOB DESCRIPTION

As a Dramatherapist you will need to:

§  Work either on a one-to-one basis or with groups of clients.

§  Use a range of interventions, including improvisation, storytelling, play, puppetry, masks, role play, drama and movement, etc. to allow students to explore their experiences and express themselves in a way that might be easier than directly talking about it.

§  Help open channels of communication for your patients, offering them a secure space to try out thinking and behaving in different ways to improve their self-awareness.

§  Undertake assessments to evaluate and make decisions about treatment options taking into account diagnosis, personal circumstances and history, as well as different therapeutic models.

§  Encourage self-awareness, exploration and reflection on feelings and relationships, enabling children to experiment with new ways of thinking and behaving.

§  Use appropriate equipment, materials and therapeutic props, such as puppets.

§  Organise and present a performance resulting from working with a group, if appropriate.

§  Liaise with other professionals (e.g., social workers, CAMHS practitioners, psychiatrists and Local Authorities)

§  Attend and contribute to team and multidisciplinary meetings where appropriate.

§  Keep up to date with administration tasks, such as maintaining records, and writing reports, letters and reviews of assessment and treatment.

§  Monitor and evaluate your clients' progress, writing reports on their progress and the activities that you've undertaken with them.

• Maintain the Dramatherapy space and materials.
• Offer training and advice to the education team.

§  Attend and deliver regular supervision sessions.

The successful candidate will be required to:

§  Have experience of working with students with very complex needs.

§  Have good written and spoken communication skills, good interpersonal skills and be able to work well within a staff team.

§  Be aware of her/his own strengths and areas for development and be proactive in filling their own gaps in knowledge, keeping up-to-date with the latest developments in the field by attending seminars, lectures, and workshops.

§  Have experience in supervising, as it will be offered to teaching staff and other members of the team.

§  All applicants must be fully-qualified Dramatherapists, registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as well as holding full membership of the British Association of Dramatherapists (BADth).

Proof of membership and a recent Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check (DBS) will be required upon successful appointment.

OTHER SKILLS

You will need to have:

• A thorough knowledge of drama and theatre and good performance skills.

§  Emotional strength and the ability to deal with challenging situations.

• A commitment to the students' wellbeing and to continually improving professional practice.
• Analytical skills and the ability to use your judgement to make clear and effective decisions.

§  Capacity to empathise with people who have difficulties in communicating feelings and thoughts.

§  Ability to work effectively with individuals and in groups.

§  Creativity and imagination.

§  Planning and organisation skills to manage a caseload of clients.

§  An understanding of client confidentiality and dealing with sensitive issues.

§  A flexible and resourceful approach to work.

§  Sensitivity, emotional stability and an ability to recognise your own strengths and weaknesses.

• General IT skills.
• 
  

 In return we offer:

§  Full support from a multidisciplinary team.

§  Individual and/or peer supervision.