Art Psychotherapist

Are you a values-driven art psychotherapist, passionate about improving the lived experience of people using services and staff, aspiring to promote positive change in the systems all around us? If so, taking your next career step working at Second Step could be the right move for you.

Second Step is a leading mental health charity in the South-West offering housing, support and hope to thousands of people with mental health and other needs. We promote wellbeing by supporting people and communities to build brighter futures. We value relationships and making sense of what has happened to those accessing our services, rather than labelling what is wrong with them.

Art Psychotherapist, Step Together

Hours: 0.3FTE (11.1 hours/week, or 2 days of 11-5pm)

Contract: Fixed term until end of March 2027

Location: The role will be based at our Parkway Hub in Bridgwater, however some home working is required and willingness to travel to services and locations across Somerset and the South-West region is required

Originally commissioned since 2019 by Somerset Council and recommissioned in April 2026, Step Together is an innovative service that offers a psychological, adversity and trauma (PAT) informed approach to those rough sleeping/at risk of homelessness with multiple disadvantage and complex needs (mental health, forensic history, substance use). We also advocate for system change, creatively thinking with other agencies to develop innovative ways to overcome barriers to engagement, turning these into opportunities to steer positive trauma-informed system change.

An exciting short-term opportunity has arisen for a job-share to join our existing Art Psychotherapist to continue to develop our PAT informed model and impactful creative engagement opportunities in Somerset.

About the role

• This is a job-share role, supporting the existing Art Psychotherapist to develop and deliver creative engagement / art therapeutic opportunities for clients within Step Together and the Housing & Homelessness system in Somerset.
• Working with the team, system partners and our Involvement & Coproduction coordinator, the Art Psychotherapist will create opportunities for coproduced spaces, and meaningful feedback and evaluation/audit.
• The Art Psychotherapist will also support the psychological therapy pathway, including the potential to develop an offer of 1:1 art therapy to clients.
• The role may also contribute to Psychological, Adversity and Trauma (PAT) Informed staff support through various reflective contexts (supervision, team formulation, reflective practice).
• Development and delivery of training, workshops and resources to build capacity of staff to embed the Psychological, Adversity and Trauma (PAT) Informed approach that is integral to the service.

Full details of this exciting opportunity can be found in the role profile (please note this role profile relates to overarching Band 7 psychological professions).

About you

• The successful applicant will have completed a recognised qualification in Art Psychotherapy and be HCPC registered.
• You will need demonstrable skills and experience in delivering therapeutic art interventions to individuals and groups.
• You will have an interest in relationally oriented approaches, interpersonal dynamics and understanding the impact of adversity/trauma.
• You will have skills and experience in coproduction.
• You will have skills in trauma-informed formulation, an ability to inspire learning in others and experience supporting the wellbeing of staff through reflective contexts.
• You will have the drive, adaptability, and autonomy to develop this role to achieve our vision enhancing quality practice, professional development and the wellbeing of the Somerset Housing & Homelessness system.

There will be investment in your professional development through training and robust clinical supervision and you will become part of the growing psychology team with other psychological staff, developing training and leading system change across Second Step and beyond. If you have the drive, adaptability, and open-mindedness to hold the hope and compassion for clients that other services have struggled to effectively work alongside, believing that recovery and growth are always possible, then we welcome hearing from you.

If you would like to discuss the opportunity before applying, please contact Alex Stewart, Service & Transformation Manager on alex.stewart@second-step.co.uk or our Art Psychotherapist, Harriet Gregory harriet.gregory@second-step.co.uk.

Closing date: This is a rolling opportunity, and we will close the advert when we find the right candidate

Interview dates(s): TBC

For more detailed information about these roles and to apply, please see our website www.second-step.co.uk. Second Step is committed to Equal Opportunities and welcomes applicants from all sections of the community and from people who have personal experience of using mental health services. Unfortunately, Second Step is unable to sponsor applicants from outside the UK.

The Company has experienced unprecedented growth over the past few years. We have a vast number of employees, and provide support to clients from all over the country.