Interested in a simple Skills Scan and Learning Progress Tracker tool for the Arts therapist (degree) standard?
Knowledge
K1: The legal and ethical scope of the role including HCPC standards for Arts Therapists, the professional body’s Code of Ethics, legislation, policies and procedures related to the role and workplace including the limits of the role, knowledge and experience.
K2: The concepts of confidentiality and informed consent and their application within a team or organisation, including how they extend to illustrative records.
K3: How to record, report and store clinical records and other information in line with data protection legislation.
K4: How to store, dispose of and ethically curate materials created within therapy.
K5: How to identify, manage, report and escalate risks, hazards or harm to self, clients and others.
K6: Ways to manage own workload and resources including knowledge of the financial and contractual aspects of practice.
K7: Your own accountability for decision-making.
K8: When and where to escalate concerns.
K9: How to always act in the best interest of the client.
K10: Ways to design specific and appropriate plans to meet the client’s goals, needs, preferences or objectives.
K11: The importance of engaging clients, their family and others as appropriate in the planning, evaluating and recording of outcomes.
K12: The emotional processes that may be elicited by engaging in a particular art form.
K13: Current relevant theory, research and practice related to the therapeutic use of an art form.
K14: Ways to evaluate the strengths, benefits and limitations of therapy.
K15: Ways gain informed consent, assessing capacity and responding appropriately and in line with legislation.
K16: The importance of client choice regarding treatment.
K17: A range of assessment techniques linked to the presenting problem, it’s history or diagnosis.
K18: How to reach clinical decisions including how to assess and enquire into the nature and severity of a problem.
K19: Understand the structure and function of the human body together with knowledge of health, disease, disorder and dysfunction relevant to the aims of treatment and the Arts Therapy.
K20: How to develop an understanding of the client’s strength, resilience and current problems including the importance of past experiences across lifespan development.
K21: Protected characteristics, equality and diversity including ways in which the therapist should acknowledge, be responsive and adapt their practice.
K22: The role and function of the art, drama or music within the relationship between client and therapist.
K23: The principle therapeutic interventions and their theoretical basis for individual and groupwork.
K24: The socio-cultural context and the client’s history on the making, viewing or experiencing of art, drama or music.
K25: The role of the physical setting.
K26: A range of approaches, materials and art, drama or music -based techniques used as a basis for the arts therapy sessions.
K27: The role of the arts in facilitating the development of the therapeutic relationship, as a means of self-expression and communication and as a way of managing psychological distress.
K28: Ways to enable clients to develop awareness of their own thoughts, feelings and behaviours to gain an understanding of the problems they face.
K29: How the Arts Therapies represent a collaborative approach to health and wellbeing in which the therapist aims to do whatever is possible to engage the client and enable them to overcome emotional and psychological barriers to engaging in arts therapies.
K30: How to change or adapt your practice to take into account new developments and changing contexts.
K31: Ways to adjust plans or adapt practice to meet the needs of different groups or individuals.
K32: When and where to refer.
K33: How to conduct appropriate liaison, information-gathering and record keeping related to referrals in a timely manner.
K34: How communication and interpersonal skills affect assessment and engagement.
K35: How to adapt communication appropriately in relation to client needs.
K36: How social and cultural factors may affect communication, when to seek support from interpreters or other services.
K37: How to use information and communication technologies as required by your role.
K38: How to decide when to initiate, continue, modify or cease treatment.
K39: Understand current relevant safeguarding laws and risk management policies and their relevance to clinical work.
K40: Ways to gather and interpret qualitative and quantitative data and the value of doing so.
K41: How to critically analyse and evaluate social, emotional, physiological and biological factors in the context of integrated health and wellbeing and report these verbally or through written reports.
K42: The role of audit in quality control, review and continuous improvement.
K43: Ways to monitor and evaluate the quality of practice, including supervision and outcome measures.
K44: When to offer your own professional opinion.
K45: The role and value of clinical supervision and applied leadership.
K46: The wider networks and contexts in which you work including the structure and function of health, social care and education services.
K47: The importance of teamwork and working within the multidisciplinary team.
K48: Stakeholders that may be involved in client’s care and support.
K49: The principles, process and applications of research enquiry relevant to arts therapies practice.
K50: A range of research methodologies and their appropriateness in evaluating arts therapies.
K51: The importance of research-based evidence and the value of research in the critical evaluation of practice.
K52: The importance of client involvement in evaluation.
K53: The importance of continuous professional development.
K54: The value of critical reflection maintaining fitness to practice.
K55: How your own experience of developing insight and self-awareness through therapy gives value to your role.
K56: The importance of maintaining your own health, well-being and resilience.
K57: The importance of engaging in the practices and processes for creating art, drama or music.
Skills
S1: Manage a caseload in line with legal and ethical responsibilities and professional registration.
S2: Establish and maintain a safe practice environment.
S3: Maintain confidentiality in all areas of your practice in a manner appropriate to the clinical context and setting and legal requirements.
S4: Practise as an autonomous Arts Therapist.
S5: Exercise professional judgement, taking personal responsibility for the decisions made.
S6: To proactively seek and find creative, realistic solutions to problems.
S7: Plan and manage Arts Therapy sessions according to evidence-based practice.
S8: Provide client-centred therapy, working in partnership with clients, their family and others involved in their care or support, building rapport, encouraging communication and supporting clients’ autonomy.
S9: Make psychological assessments and judgements by gathering an understanding of the client’s current problems, what causes, exacerbates or perpetuates them and how therapy may help or harm.
S10: Undertake and record a thorough, sensitive and detailed assessment using your specialised skills to conceptualise and address problematic situations that involve many interacting factors
S11: Enable clients to make an informed choice, about which intervention, if any, may be most appropriate.
S12: Work with and respond appropriately to complex physical and mental health needs relevant to the client and the therapy.
S13: Engage with clients with co-existing and complex problems to deliver a coherent approach to their therapeutic experience.
S14: Employ your expertise in art, drama or music in conjunction with your psychological and therapeutic skills to develop and regularly review a formulation of the client’s problems in collaboration with them.
S15: Use therapeutic skills and technical expertise in art, drama or music to enable the client to engage in the art form.
S16: Select appropriate methods, equipment or techniques from within a medium (of art, drama or music) in the therapy session that is delivered.
S17: Use arts and psychological understanding and interpersonal skills to help support the client’s awareness of their thoughts and feelings and to reflect on these and on their relationships and behaviour.
S18: Use arts and psychological understanding and interpersonal skills to help the client to overcome any barriers wherever possible.
S19: Read clients explicit and implicit emotional communication and use these to inform therapeutic action.
S20: Elicit, receive and make appropriate referrals, promoting awareness of the arts therapies contribution throughout the organisation.
S21: Communicate appropriately with others involved in the client’s care and involve them in decision making where appropriate.
S22: Communicate effectively using verbal and non-verbal skills.
S23: Engage the client in mutual assessment of their progress.
S24: Make responsive and appropriate adjustments to therapeutic approach when required.
S25: Review the effectiveness of practice through evaluation, audit and record keeping.
S26: Apply current relevant safeguarding and risk management processes and procedures.
S27: Work as part of a multi-disciplinary team within your own organisation and across the wider health and social care team outside of your own organisation as required.
S28: Support, train, supervise and consult with colleagues.
S29: Build and sustain professional relationships as an independent practitioner and a member of a team.
S30: Be able to engage effectively in research activity and evaluation as required by the role in the context of the employing organisation’s priorities.
S31: Reflect on, review and continuously improve and develop your own psychological and arts-based practice, supporting others to do the same.
Behaviours
B1: Treat people with dignity and respect, being non-discriminatory and showing awareness of their rights and choices whilst acting in their best interests.
B2: Be trustworthy and behave professionally.
B3: Demonstrate empathy and compassion for clients, colleagues and others.
Duty 1
DUTY: Work in line with the legal, ethical scope of an Arts Therapist in line with HCPC and professional body standards and codes of practice
CRITERIA FOR MEASURING PERFORMANCE: Adhere to HCPC Standards of Proficiency, Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics andContinuing Professional DevelopmentAdhere to the professional body’s code of ethicsFollow relevant statutory, mandatory and local policies and procedures
K1
K2
K3
K4
K5
S1
S2
S3
B2
Duty 2
DUTY: Work autonomously as an Arts Therapist
CRITERIA FOR MEASURING PERFORMANCE: Adhere to HCPC Standards of Prociency, Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics and Continuing Professional DevelopmentAdhere to the professional body’s code of ethicsFollow relevant statutory, mandatory and local policies and proceduresPractice autonomously whilst liaising with relevant professionals to respond to the client’s needs including treatment options and/or concerns as appropriateCommunicate and interact appropriately, sensitively and effectively with the client and othersto support the client with their therapyApply the learning from clinical supervision into therapy practiceAct in the client’s best interest recognising their changing needs and capacity
K6
K7
K8
S4
S5
S6
B2
Duty 3
DUTY: Manage a case load of clients, planning group and individual therapy sessions according to evidence-based best practice to meet the client’s goals
CRITERIA FOR MEASURING PERFORMANCE: Adhere to HCPC Standards of Proficiency, Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics andContinuing Professional DevelopmentAdhere to the professional body’s code of ethicsFollow relevant statutory, mandatory and local policies and proceduresPractice autonomously whilst liaising with relevant professionals to respond to the client’s needsincluding treatment options and/or concerns as appropriateAssess plan or deliver therapy demonstrating clinical reasoning skills using evidence-based practice and outcome measuresCommunicate and interact appropriately, sensitively and effectively with the client and others to support the client with their therapyApply the learning from clinical supervision into therapy practiceGenerate appropriate records and reports in a timely mannerAct in the client’s best interest recognising their changing needs and capacity
K9
K10
K11
K12
K13
K14
S7
S8
B1
B2
B3
Duty 4
DUTY: Assess a client’s initial needs, enabling them to make an informed choice, and using professional judgement to recommend on which intervention, if any, may be most appropriate
CRITERIA FOR MEASURING PERFORMANCE: Adhere to HCPC Standards of Proficiency, Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics and Continuing Professional DevelopmentAdhere to the professional body’s code of ethicsFollow relevant statutory, mandatory and local policies and proceduresPractice autonomously whilst liaising with relevant professionals to respond to the client’s needsincluding treatment options and/or concerns as appropriateAssess plan or deliver therapy demonstrating clinical reasoning skills using evidence-based practice and outcome measuresCommunicate and interact appropriately, sensitively and effectively with the client and others to support the client with their therapyApply the learning from clinical supervision into therapy practiceGenerate appropriate records and reports in a timely mannerAct in the client’s best interest recognising their changing needs and capacity
K15
K16
K17
K18
K19
S9
S10
S11
S12
B1
B2
B3
Duty 5
DUTY: Engage in complex psychological therapy practice that involves clients with co-existing problems, conditions and social needs
CRITERIA FOR MEASURING PERFORMANCE: Adhere to HCPC Standards of Proficiency, Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics and Continuing Professional DevelopmentAdhere to the professional body’s code of ethicsFollow relevant statutory, mandatory and local policies and proceduresPractice autonomously whilst liaising with relevant professionals to respond to the client’s needs including treatment options and/or concerns as appropriateAssess plan or deliver therapy demonstrating clinical reasoning skills using evidence-based practiceand outcome measuresCommunicate and interact appropriately, sensitively and effectively with the client and others to support the client with their therapyApply the learning from clinical supervision into therapy practiceAct in the client’s best interest recognising their changing needs and capacity
K20
K21
S13
B1
B2
B3
Duty 6
DUTY: Make ongoing assessments with a client by understanding their current problems, what causes or perpetuates them and how therapy may help
CRITERIA FOR MEASURING PERFORMANCE: Adhere to HCPC Standards of Proficiency, Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics and Continuing Professional DevelopmentAdhere to the professional body’s code of ethicsFollow relevant statutory, mandatory and local policies and proceduresAssess plan or deliver therapy demonstrating clinical reasoning skills using evidence-based practiceand outcome measuresCommunicate and interact appropriately, sensitively and effectively with the client and others to support the client with their therapyApply the learning from clinical supervision into therapy practiceAct in the client’s best interest recognising their changing needs and capacity
K22
K23
S14
B1
B2
B3
Duty 7
DUTY: Support clients to take an active role in the therapeutic process of engaging in art, drama or music either individually or in groups
CRITERIA FOR MEASURING PERFORMANCE: Adhere to HCPC Standards of Prociency, Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics and Continuing Professional DevelopmentAdhere to the professional body’s code of ethicsFollow relevant statutory, mandatory and local policies and proceduresPractice autonomously whilst liaising with relevant professionals to respond to the client’s needsincluding treatment options and/or concerns as appropriateAssess plan or deliver therapy demonstrating clinical reasoning skills using evidence-based practiceand outcome measuresCommunicate and interact appropriately, sensitively and effectively with the client and othersto support the client with their therapyApply the learning from clinical supervision into therapy practiceAct in the client’s best interest recognising their changing needs and capacity
K24
K25
K26
K27
S15
S16
B1
B2
B3
Duty 8
DUTY: Enable clients to experience and consider their own thoughts, feelings and behaviours including those which are not easily put into words to help them experience themselves and others in new ways and gain an understanding of the problems they face
CRITERIA FOR MEASURING PERFORMANCE: Adhere to HCPC Standards of Proficiency, Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics andContinuing Professional DevelopmentAdhere to the professional body’s code of ethicsFollow relevant statutory, mandatory and local policies and proceduresAssess plan or deliver therapy demonstrating clinical reasoning skills using evidence-based practice and outcome measuresCommunicate and interact appropriately, sensitively and effectively with the client and others to support the client with their therapyApply the learning from clinical supervision into therapy practiceAct in the client’s best interest recognising their changing needs and capacity
K28
K29
S17
S18
B1
B2
B3
Duty 9
DUTY: Observe the client’s reactions, progress or other outcomes, assessing and evaluating the session to inform next stage in case management and to prepare accurate reports and notes
CRITERIA FOR MEASURING PERFORMANCE: Adhere to HCPC Standards of Proficiency, Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics and Continuing Professional DevelopmentAdhere to the professional body’s code of ethicsFollow relevant statutory, mandatory and local policies and proceduresPractice autonomously whilst liaising with relevant professionals to respond to the client’s needs including treatment options and/or concerns as appropriateAssess plan or deliver therapy demonstrating clinical reasoning skills using evidence-based practice and outcome measureCommunicate and interact appropriately, sensitively and effectively with the client and other to support the client with their therapyApply the learning from clinical supervision into therapy practiceGenerate appropriate records and reports in a timely manner
K30
K31
S19
B1
B2
B3
Duty 10
DUTY: Receive and make referrals
CRITERIA FOR MEASURING PERFORMANCE: Adhere to HCPC Standards of Proficiency, Standards of Conduct,Performance and Ethics and Continuing ProfessionalDevelopmentAdhere to the professional body’s code of ethicsFollow relevant statutory, mandatory and local policies and proceduresPractice autonomously whilst liaising with relevant professionals to respond to the client’s needsincluding treatment options and/or concerns as appropriateAssess plan or deliver therapy demonstrating clinical reasoning skills using evidence-based practice and outcome measuresCommunicate and interact appropriately, sensitively and effectively with the client and othersto support the client with their therapyGenerate appropriate records and reports in a timely manner
K32
K33
S20
B2
Duty 11
DUTY: Communicate appropriately with the client and others involved in the client’s care or support, including acting as an advocate for clients if needed and actively seeking the involvement of carers where appropriate
CRITERIA FOR MEASURING PERFORMANCE: Adhere to HCPC Standards of Prociency, Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics and Continuing Professional DevelopmentAdhere to the professional body’s code of ethicsFollow relevant statutory, mandatory and local policies and proceduresPractice autonomously whilst liaising with relevant professionals to respond to the client’s needsincluding treatment options and/or Concerns as appropriateCommunicate and interact appropriately, sensitively and effectively with the client and others to support the client with their therapyGenerate appropriate records and reports in a timely mannerAct in the client’s best interest recognising their changing needs and capacity
K34
K35
K36
K37
S21
S22
B1
B2
B3
Duty 12
DUTY: Assess client’s progress, adjust and adapt therapies as needed within your professional scope and capacity and recognise when it is time to end therapy interventions
CRITERIA FOR MEASURING PERFORMANCE: Adhere to HCPC Standards of Proficiency, Standards of Conduct,Performance and Ethics and Continuing Professional DevelopmentAdhere to the professional body’s code of ethicsFollow relevant statutory, mandatory and local policies and proceduresAssess plan or deliver therapy demonstrating clinical reasoning skills using evidence-based practiceand outcome measuresCommunicate and interact appropriately, sensitively and effectively with the client and others to support the client with their therapy Apply the learning from clinical supervision into therapy practiceAct in the client’s best interest recognising their changing needs and capacity
K38
S23
S24
B1
B2
B3
Duty 13
DUTY: Regularly review the safety and effectiveness of practice
CRITERIA FOR MEASURING PERFORMANCE: Adhere to HCPC Standards of Proficiency, Standards of Conduct,Performance and Ethics and Continuing Professional DevelopmentAdhere to the professional body’s code of ethicsFollow relevant statutory, mandatory and local policies and proceduresAssess plan or deliver therapy demonstrating clinical reasoning skills using evidence-based practiceand outcome measures Apply the learning from clinical supervision into therapy practiceGenerate appropriate records and reports in a timely mannerAct in the client’s best interest recognising their changing needs and capacity
K5
K39
K40
K41
K42
K43
S25
S26
B2
Duty 14
DUTY: Train, supervise, consult with and support colleagues or the wider health and social care team and give your professional judgement as required
CRITERIA FOR MEASURING PERFORMANCE: Adhere to HCPC Standards of Proficiency, Standards of Conduct,Performance and Ethics and Continuing Professional DevelopmentAdhere to the professional body’s code of ethicsFollow relevant statutory, mandatory and local policies and proceduresPractice autonomously whilst liaising with relevant professionals to respond to the client’s needs including treatment options and/or concerns as appropriateAssess plan or deliver therapy demonstrating clinical reasoning skills using evidence-based practice and outcome measuresCommunicate and interact appropriately, sensitively and effectively with the client and others to support the client with their therapyApply the learning from clinical supervision into therapy practiceAct in the client’s best interest recognising their changing needs and capacity
K44
K45
K46
K47
K48
S27
S28
S29
B1
B2
B3
Duty 15
DUTY: Take part in research activity
CRITERIA FOR MEASURING PERFORMANCE: Adhere to HCPC Standards of Proficiency, Standards of Conduct,Performance and Ethics and Continuing Professional DevelopmentAdhere to the professional body’s code of ethicsFollow relevant statutory, mandatory and local policies and procedures Evaluate practice
K49
K50
K51
K52
S30
B2
Duty 16
DUTY: Engage in personal and professional development
CRITERIA FOR MEASURING PERFORMANCE: Adhere to HCPC Standards of Proficiency, Standards of Conduct,Performance and Ethics and Continuing Professional DevelopmentAdhere to the professional body’s code of ethicsFollow relevant statutory, mandatory and local policies and proceduresShow self-awareness, resilience and engage with reflective practice and process
