Head of Discipline: Therapeutic Arts

College of Arts, Humanities and Education

The new Head of Therapeutic Arts will lead on teaching, learning and research strategy to ensure arts and creativity can be applied therapeutically in community, voluntary, health, educational, and corporate settings.

Job details

Responsible to

Head of School of Arts

Location

Markeaton Street and Britannia Mill, Derby Campus

Closing date

Monday 20 January 2025

Salary

£58,863 to £73,579 per annum (for exceptional performers, there is scope for further progression up to £84,616 per annum)

Job grade

Leadership – D

Reference

284-24-R2

Contract type

Permanent

Post type

Full-time

Adaptive working type

Onsite
This role will be based on site, primarily in the named location.

We have one simple promise – to make a positive impact. Through our ground-breaking research, teaching excellence and commitment to sustainable living, we are changing lives for the better.

The University of Derby is a modern university with a modern outlook. Everything we do is driven by delivering excellence and opportunities for our students, our staff and our region.

We have some of the best university facilities in the UK and achieve outstanding results for our teaching and research and have been awarded Gold in the prestigious Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023 – making it one of the top universities in the country recognised for its outstanding student experience and student outcomes.

Financially strong and seriously ambitious we offer our employees an inclusive culture that centres itself around staff wellbeing, where you can be confident you will receive all the help and encouragement you need to build a rewarding career with lots of opportunities to enhance your skills.

The School of Arts is recognised in diverse fields of established and emerging, immersive forms of practice. We are committed to empowering individuals and creative collectives to fully engage in real-world issues which impact society at local, regional, national, and international levels. 

The school has a diverse and expansive portfolio of courses within the 3 discipline areas: Art & Design, Film & Performance and Therapeutic Arts. We are looking to appoint a Head of Discipline of Therapeutic Arts, to lead an area of courses which includes (but is not limited to): Creative Expressive Arts and Health and Wellbeing, Art Therapy, Drama Therapy, Dance Movement Psychotherapy and Music Therapy at UG and PG levels. Our students use the Arts as a tool to work with others positively and therapeutically and develop their skills in the applied arts as Arts & Health Practitioners to lead to fulfilling careers in a wide range of arts, health, social care, and educational settings.

The ideal candidate will have experience in leading a comparative area or department of Therapeutic Arts/Arts for health, mapping curriculum against health and social care sector requirements. The new Head of Therapeutic Arts will lead on teaching, learning and research strategy to ensure arts and creativity can be applied therapeutically in community, voluntary, health, educational, and corporate settings. As Head of Discipline, you will be an accomplished leader who possesses a strategic understanding of contemporary art education, research, and practice. Successful candidates will lead the Therapeutic Arts Discipline Area and work closely with the Heads of Art & Design, Film & Performance, and the Head of School in delivering the new 5-year strategy. 

They will maintain high standards of teaching, learning and assessment in all its forms and the development of scholarship and research in the Discipline area. Successful candidates will initiate and encourage activity in professional/ industrial engagement to enhance academic enterprise, undertaking sector horizon scanning and benchmarking performance against competitors and identifying other opportunities. Working collaboratively as a member of the Senior Leadership Team, you will lead an ambitious agenda and ensure that we provide real academic excellence and develop new internal and external partnerships. 

This role is an opportunity for an ambitious, motivated, and collaborative leader to play a prominent part at an exciting time at the School of Arts at the University of Derby.

  1. Provide strong, inspiring and collaborative leadership, create a positive team spirit, maximise people potential and engagement across the Discipline area and wider University, so as to foster a vibrant and innovative academic community.
  2. Enhance the full range of academic activities in the Discipline area, including teaching and learning, impactful research, professional development, academic enterprise and scholarly activity.
  3. Undertake sector horizon scanning and benchmarking performance against competitors to enhance the strength and performance of the Discipline area.
  4. Support and challenge staff to achieve excellent metrics and outcomes in TEF, REF, NSS, PRES and PTES and other key performance indicators.
  5. Work closely with the Course Director to cultivate the academic development, review and teaching of course provision within the Discipline area.
  6. Actively foster collaborative relationships with the Head of College Business Operations and other professional support service colleagues to ensure the needs of the College are being supported.
  7. To lead teams and activities and work closely with the Course Director to ensure a challenging and supported student experience which inspires them to achieve academically and in their career to their highest potential.
  8. Take the lead in ensuring the professional accreditation of programmes is achieved in the Discipline area where appropriate.
  9. Ensure the commitment to and development of academic enterprise, collaborative partnerships, and consultancy and commercial activities and manage these within staff workloads.
  10. Actively contribute to the School Leadership Team to provide effective academic leadership.
  11. Manage and support staff within the Discipline area with respect to academic workload planning, undertaking development and performance reviews, coaching and mentoring as required.
  12. Utilise management information to monitor achievement of objectives, setting clear performance targets and addressing issues of underperformance in an objective and supportive manner when necessary.
  13. Work proactively with the Head of School to ensure the effective planning and management of resources within an agreed budget and engage with College planning and budgeting.
  14. Engage in UK and International student recruitment activities by, working effectively with recruitment & marketing colleagues and course leaders to develop the profile of the Discipline, including its promotion through marketing and the media.
  15. Ensure that staff in the Discipline area engage with staff development opportunities to gain and continuously enhance their skills and contribution, leading by example.
  16. Ensure compliance with institutional performance expectations within the HE sector, including regulatory requirement of e.g. the OFS, Designated Quality Body, Competition and Market Authority, and other Regulatory standards and agencies.
  17. Proactively support the Course Director and other colleagues to maintain and enhance quality assurance standards and the reputation for excellence in teaching of the Discipline area.
  18. Proactively support the Course Director in portfolio and curriculum development/ review for the Discipline area, ensuring curriculum content and delivery is both academically excellent and inspiring, as well as sustainable in resource terms.
  19. Effectively develop external networks with other academics, employers, external agencies, key stakeholders, other providers and professional bodies as appropriate.
  20. Continually enhance and develop the external profile and academic ranking of the Discipline area.
  21. Work with the Heads of Research Centres to assure delivery of research objectives, targets and outputs within agreed workloads.
  22. Maintain own research and scholarship, where possible delivering outcomes that contribute to REF.

Please see Job Description for full list.

Essential Criteria

Qualifications

  • Academic/professional qualifications (at a minimum of a postgraduate level) and substantial experience in discipline area.
  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
  • Professional Qualification as per Therapeutic Arts Professional Records Standards Body requirements.
  • Hold or commit to working towards a PhD/Professional Doctorate or alternatively demonstrate equivalent standing in professional practice or expertise.

Experience

  • Leadership experience within an academic context.
  • Significant teaching experience in HE.
  • A comprehensive understanding of external HE sector and current issues.
  • A strong commitment to the institutional mission and strategic objectives.
  • Current personal scholarship and research in a relevant field of endeavour.  
  • Extensive curriculum development experience in a relevant area.
  • Substantial experience of quality systems and quality assurance.

Skills, knowledge & abilities

  • Understand the importance of setting and meeting stretching targets and objectives relating to organisational aims and goals.  
  • Demonstrable skills in academic leadership and management with proven ability to deliver through people.
  • Strong business / commercial acumen and the ability to manage budgets and interpret financial information.
  • Ability to develop impactful research profile and external academic enterprise activities for self and others.
  • Proven ability to foster effective communication and collaborative working within a School.
  • A commitment to demonstrate and promote the University core values.
  • Flexible and adaptable, demonstrating good time management/planning skills and commitment to meeting deadlines.

Business requirements

  • Contribute to the wider leadership of the School and College.
  • Ability to travel abroad for business.
  • Availability to work when necessary at weekends and during the evenings to attend Open Days and other University activities in other external activities.
  • Commitment to continual professional development. 
  • Generous annual leave entitlement of 42 days inclusive of bank holidays and concessionary days (pro rata)
  • Teacher’s Pension Scheme
  • Suite of holistic wellbeing benefits and support including family-friendly policies, generous sick pay provision and comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme
  • Access to a variety of staff discounts at high street retailers
  • Discounted onsite gym
  • Discounted access to Devonshire Spa
  • Access to employer-funded Private Health Insurance
  • Holiday purchase
  • Cycle to Work scheme
  • A flexible working environment
  • A commitment to personal and professional development

Find out more about rewards and benefitsFind out more about rewards and benefits

For further information and informal enquiries regarding the role, please contact Professor Alex Molasiotis, PVC/Dean for College of Arts, Humanities and Education via A.Molasiotis@derby.ac.uk

For enquiries regarding your application and for sponsorship eligibility, please contact the recruitment team via recruitment@derby.ac.uk.

Lead with purpose, apply now to make an impact.

How to apply

You can apply by submitting an online application. Once you have signed in or registered with us you will be able to begin your application. If you are creating an account for the first time, please ensure you provide an email address that you access regularly as this will be our main means of contacting you regarding your application.

If you require any assistance, including the provision of any documentation in an alternative format, please contact the Recruitment team at recruitment@derby.ac.uk.

Please note all applications must be submitted online by Midnight GMT on the closing date of the vacancy.

Visa Sponsorship Eligibility

This role is eligible for sponsorship by the University, however, your individual circumstances must meet the criteria set out by UKVI; this includes meeting the English Language requirement and earning a salary that meets the highest of either the going rate for the SOC code or the minimum salary threshold for the Skilled Worker route (£38,700 per annum).

If the role is eligible, but the offered salary is less that the going rate for the role, you may still be able to apply for a Skilled Worker visa if:

  • Your job is on the Immigration Salary List

  • You’re under 26, studying or a recent graduate, or in professional training

  • You have a PhD level qualification that’s relevant to your job

  • The role you are applying for is a postdoctoral position

Please note that the University cannot confirm your eligibility for sponsorship until an offer is made and your individual circumstances have been considered.

For more information, visit Applying from Overseas.

Equity, diversity and inclusion

The University of Derby is committed to promoting equity, diversity and inclusion. However you identify, we actively celebrate the knowledge, experience and talents each person brings. Our students come from a wide range of backgrounds; therefore we are particularly interested to hear from applicants who will help our leaders and teams be more reflective of our student population.

A university that celebrates you

Environmental Sustainability

At the University of Derby, we are passionate about embedding sustainability into everything that we do. We aim to bring environmental sustainability into all aspects of the University, including teaching, research and operational activities. In line with the University's strategic framework, we expect all our staff to embed sustainability into their working practices and support the University's objective to reach net zero carbon by 2040.

Environment and sustainability

 

Further details

Download Head of Discipline: Therapeutic Arts job descriptionDownload Head of Discipline: Therapeutic Arts job description

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