Senior Drama Therapist
At a glance
- Band
- Band 7
- Contract
- Permanent
- Pattern
- Part-time
- Posted
- 01/09/2026
- Closes
- 15/09/2026
Sponsorship verdict
This contract type is not eligible for Skilled Worker sponsorship.
NHS Trusts cannot issue a Certificate of Sponsorship for part-time, bank, locum, zero-hours, job-share or short fixed-term (under 12 months) contracts under current Home Office rules. This applies even when the wider Trust holds a Skilled Worker licence.
Role summary
This role involves providing specialist drama therapy interventions to service users, focusing on recovery, emotional wellbeing, and therapeutic engagement. The post holder will assess, plan, facilitate, and evaluate individual and group drama therapy programmes within a multidisciplinary team. Key responsibilities include delivering client-centred interventions, supervising students, and contributing to service development and evaluation. The role also requires administrative and clinical support within the Occupational Therapy Department.
Essential criteria
- Professional qualification in Drama Therapy
- Supervisory Qualification
- Registered Arts Therapist (HPC)
- Masters training relevant to Mental Health
Desirable criteria
- Membership of professional body and special interest group
- Working with mental health service users (Post qualification)
- Extensive clinical experience including individual and group work
- Experience of audit, research and clinical governance procedures and their application in practice
- Experience of working with people with challenging behaviours
- Experience of specialist Mental health settings
- Knowledge and Skills
- High level understanding of Mental health disorders and treatment models
- Detailed knowledge of legislation relevant to Mental Health and Specialist practice where appropriate
- Extensive knowledge of the principles of risk assessment and risk management
- Working knowledge of the importance of service user and carer involvement
- Understanding of HPC Professional Code of Conduct and Creative Arts Therapy skills, and their application in process
- Other
- Ability to work flexibly
- Commitment to student and staff supervision
- Commitment to lifelong learning
- Open to new ideas and awareness of general issues that might have relevance to service users' involvement
- Qualifications and Training
- Professional qualification in Drama Therapy
- Supervisory Qualification
- Registered Arts Therapist (HPC)
- Masters training relevant to Mental Health
- Membership of professional body and special interest group
- Working with mental health service users (Post qualification)
- Extensive clinical experience including individual and group work
- Experience of audit, research and clinical governance procedures and their application in practice
- Experience of working with people with challenging behaviours
- Experience of specialist Mental health settings
- Knowledge and Skills
- High level understanding of Mental health disorders and treatment models
- Detailed knowledge of legislation relevant to Mental Health and Specialist practice where appropriate
- Extensive knowledge of the principles of risk assessment and risk management
- Working knowledge of the importance of service user and carer involvement
- Understanding of HPC Professional Code of Conduct and Creative Arts Therapy skills, and their application in process
- Other
- Ability to work flexibly
- Commitment to student and staff supervision
- Commitment to lifelong learning
- Open to new ideas and awareness of general issues that might have relevance to service users' involvement
Useful to know
Agenda for Change 2024/25 pays Band 7 at £46,148 – £52,809 a year, across England.
This advert: £55,524 – £62,652 — outside the standard scale; check for HCAS/London weighting.
Posted 6d ago · Closes in 9d
Plenty of time to prepare a strong application.
Full advert · preview
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
Senior Drama Therapist
The closing date is 15 September 2026
Job summary
To provide specialist drama therapy interventions to service users, using creative and evidence-based approaches to support recovery, emotional wellbeing, and engagement in meaningful therapeutic activity. To assess, plan, facilitate, and evaluate individual and group drama therapy programmes as part of the multidisciplinary team
Main duties of the job
The post holder will provide evidence-based, client-centred Dramatherapy interventions for clients with complex needs, including assessment, treatment planning, implementation and evaluation of therapeutic interventions. They will contribute to the development and evaluation of Creative Arts services through involvement in projects, regularly supervise Dramatherapy students on placement, and participate in multidisciplinary team (MDT) activities. The role also includes providing administrative and clinical support within the Occupational Therapy Department as required.
About us
We are committed to ensuring our staff get the most out of their benefits package and understand the importance of a healthy work life balance. There is an extensive range of excellent benefits for you and your family. We want you to feel like you are part of a close knit team at SLaM. It's important to us that yo
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