7 April 2020

This update provides information about the ways arts therapists have refocused and remodelled community and inpatient arts therapies provision in response to the current COVID-19 emergency. Arts Therapists are focusing on supporting services where resources are most stretched and  supporting service users with highly complex needs and those who may be most vulnerable at this time.

Community Arts Therapies Provision

Urgent Response Arts Therapies Risk Assessment

Arts Therapies services have streamlined provision by designing a new evidence-informed risk assessment tool to prioritise caseloads and ensure that support is maintained to protect those most in need, especially clients with complex needs under our Lead Professional Care and those who are socially isolated with little outside contact.

Tele-Arts Therapies

Arts Therapies services have adapted provision to offer telephone and video sessions where appropriate and have maintained any essential face-to-face contact. Arts Therapies leads have developed written guidance on these tele-adaptations of service delivery, incorporating Trust guidance, to provide governance for effective continuity and treatment.

Long Term Health Conditions

In addition to monitoring any changes in mental health needs and helping people to recognise and respond to any covid-19 symptoms, arts therapists are ensuring people are accessing services and are monitoring long term health conditions to prevent relapse at this time.

Lead Professional Care

Arts Therapists are assisting community mental health teams with their caseloads, taking on lead professional care roles and tasks as pressures on community services increase and the wider mental health provision changes and adapts to the emergency.

Arts and Health Packs

We have developed arts and health packs which have been sent to service users and are being used to support tele-arts therapies. There are a range of ideas that people can use to boost their wellbeing creatively with the resources provided and also weblinks to access arts-based spaces online that will help them connect with others.  The packs also include information and advice sheets for people who may be struggling to manage the ‘stay-at-home’ restrictions and need support with planning their day and accessing necessary services.

Inpatient settings:

Arts Therapists are ensuring that they maintain as much therapy provision across the wards as is possible and working closely with Occupational Therapy and activity co-ordinators on this.

Arts psychotherapies staff are adapting to each ward’s individual needs and have moved to offering 1:1 provision and are thinking creatively around ward arts therapy engagement. Arts Therapists are redirecting some of our provision to support discharge planning at this time and are preparing to upskill other arts therapists further in this area if needed. 

Additional Arts Therapists are being identified to work on wards where there is increased need due to staffing pressures and also utilising honorary staff where possible to maintain therapeutic support. 

Arts Therapies Leads have prepared guidelines to support therapists as they adapt their offer to the wards. This guidance ensures essential measures to combat Covid-19 are observed and sets out the increased range of activities and provision on offer to support the wards at this time. These also take into account the likelihood of staff moving to new areas of work and offer additional induction guidance tailored to different inpatient workplace settings.

Arts Therapists are keen to be an active part of the ward teams in helping the MDT; offering flexible support, clinical guidance and reassurance as the pressures mount for all.