Rehabilitation Music Therapist, Band 6 Psychology

Job responsibilities

The role of a Music Therapist is to provide specialist music therapy to children and young people accessing the neurorehabilitation, continuing care or step-down services. You will provide high quality, evidence-based music therapy assessment and intervention to children and young people with neurodisabilities and neurodevelopmental concerns, within a multidisciplinary and multi-agency setting.

The music therapy service is part of the Psychological Therapies Services, that promotes child and young people-centred practice within a wider multidisciplinary rehabilitation approach. You will deliver child and family focused, goal led interventions, working in collaboration with the family and the team around each child or young person that you are allocated.

Duties and Responsibilities

Clinical Skills and Responsibilities

Provide high quality, evidence-based music therapy provision for children and young people, in partnership with other members of the Multidisciplinary Team.

Undertake Psychosocial Assessments to assess the holistic needs of CYPF.

Undertake specialist music therapy assessments of children with highly complex needs, e.g. co-occurring needs, through standardised and non-standardised assessments and clinical observations.

Chair internal meetings to gain shared understandings of the presenting issues and intervention plans for CYPF.

Attend and contribute to Multidisciplinary Team meetings, to discuss individual children/ young people and service in general, as required e.g. reviews, case conferences, clinics, etc.

Promote collaborative working relationships through effective communication.

Work therapeutically with children and young people who have complex needs and may present with mental health needs and/or behaviour that may be challenging associated with their acquired brain injury or the trauma experience.

Devise and work towards therapeutic goals as part of the team around the child, completing reports and attending professional meetings or clinics (such as Psychiatry) as required, in a timely manner, in line with organisational targets.

Use clear criteria to discern where music therapy provision can best make impact for our CYPF e.g. clear rationales and criteria for service provision and referrals.

Have methods of measuring short term targets, through using therapy outcome measurement tools e.g. music therapy star

Facilitate family involvement in music therapy interventions where appropriate to promote empowerment of CYPF.

Liaise with all appropriate medical staff, whether employed by The Childrens Trust, visiting consultants or at off-site clinics, and attend clinics (e.g. psychiatry) with the child as required.

Contribute to child related reports, as required, and assist with the collation of these as required, in a timely manner in line with organisational targets.

Use a range of advanced communication skills, to share specialist information and facilitate discussions with a range of audiences, with different levels of knowledge and expertise.

Keep appropriate and accurate records of clinical contact and child-related work, which fulfil legal, professional and the requirements of The Childrens Trust.

If appropriate, take on a co-ordinating therapist role for small number of young people

Undertake mental health risk assessments for CYPF

Provide clinical cover across the service during episodes of staff shortage/heavy workload, to ensure effective service delivery.

Undertake other or additional duties that are within your skills and abilities, as the organisation may reasonably require from time to time.

Management of Self and Others

Demonstrate a high degree of emotional self-regulation and ability to support this with team members.

To practice in line with trauma-informed principles.

Manage time effectively, prioritising and delegating work appropriately and as required.

To maintain effective communication at all times with CYPF and professionals involved in their support.

To be a facilitator of effective communication with families and members of the Multidisciplinary Team.

To recognise barriers to effective communication and be able to reduce these as appropriate.

Effectively supervise and support students on placement, volunteers and support staff at The Childrens Trust.

Approach supervision as an active participant with openness, transparency, and show ability to apply agreed actions.

Maintain clear and concise documents and records, in accordance with The Childrens Trust policies.

Ensure documents are always managed confidentially.

Manage informal complaints, in line with The Childrens Trust polices and contribute to the resolution of written complaints, taking immediate action where necessary.

Participate in the annual Performance Development Review and monthly supervision sessions, as required by The Childrens Trust, both as an appraiser and an appraise.

Advise the Head of Psychological Therapies regarding resources and equipment needs, including shortfalls.

Manage time effectively, prioritising and delegating work appropriately and as required.

Governance

Read and implement all policies, procedures and risk assessments, pertinent to working practice and keep up to date with changes as they occur.

Critically evaluate practice through clinical audits with support from the Head of Psychological Therapies.

Recognise and critically appraise situations where the effectiveness, efficiency and quality of the service are compromised and take appropriate action to resolve the situation, with support from the Head of Psychological Therapies.

Critically reflect on own performance and that of other staff; and use this evaluation to enhance the effectiveness, efficiency and quality of future practice.

Actively participate in local clinical governance activities

Read and implements all policies, procedures and risk assessments, pertinent to working practice and keep up to date with changes as they occur.

Critically evaluate practice through clinical audits and by appraisal of the information gained, in combination with current knowledge of evidence-based practice; identify opportunities for service improvement and development, with support from the Head of Psychological Therapies.

Continue the audit cycle, by evaluating any changes implemented as a result. This should include the adoption of evidence informed practice, the trial of emerging interventions and the cessation of interventions where evidence is insufficient and other approaches are indicated.

Recognise and critically appraise situations where the effectiveness, efficiency and quality of the service are compromised and take appropriate action to resolve the situation, with support from the Head of Psychological Therapies.

Attend The Childrens Trust working events as requested by Head of Psychological Therapies, to contribute to strategic service development.

Critically reflect on own performance and that of other staff; and use this evaluation to enhance the effectiveness, efficiency and quality of future practice.

Undergo The Childrens Trust Risk Assessor training, in order that all activities are risk assessed and documented in the most appropriate format. Ensure that detailed risk assessments are completed, as required.

Actively participate in local clinical governance activities.

Limits of Authority and Problem Solving

In addition to The Childrens Trust policies, Music Therapists are governed by, and should adhere to, the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the British Association of Music Therapy standards.

Make day-to-day decisions regarding Music Therapy requirements for children and young people, based on caseload

Responsible for day-to-day time management and prioritisation of workload, taking into account the needs of the whole service.

Monthly formal supervision ensuring reflection and documentation.

Provides formal supervision to students.

To receive regular clinical professional supervision from a senior music therapist (external as required) and, where appropriate, other senior professional colleagues.

To undertake other or additional duties that are within your skills and abilities, as the organisation may reasonably require from time to time.

Career Long Learning, Education and Research

Undertake all mandatory training, in line with The Childrens Trust policy.

Advance personal knowledge, understanding and skills in line with identified learning needs by making appropriate use of a variety of learning and development resources and opportunities; for example, by attending courses/ lectures, contact and involvement with relevant special interest groups visiting other departments.

Prepare appropriately for Performance and Development Reviews, identifying learning objectives and setting targets; identifying opportunities for professional development to meet continuing professional development requirements.

Submit research Abstracts/ Posters to both local and national conferences, with support if required.

Actively seek personal educational developmental opportunities, through attending off-site courses and events, in-house training sessions, contact and involvement with relevant special interest groups and external organisations, updating your knowledge through literary review.

Participate in in-service competency training programmes and teaching sessions, as appropriate.

Qualifications

Essential

• Masters degree or equivalent qualification in Music Therapy.
• HCPC registration.
• Evidence of Continuous Professional Development, in line with regulatory body standards.
• Qualified in Neurologic Music Therapy trained.
• Qualified in MATADOC.
• Member of British Association of Music Therapists.
• Current affiliate of NMT Academy.

Desirable

• Member of specialist interest group or forum.
• Post qualification research or publications.

Skills & Abilities

Essential

• Ability to work sensitively with CYPF facing intense emotional and psychological challenges.
• Communicate complex and sensitive information with empathy and professionalism, adapting to the needs of patients and
• their support networks.
• Ability to apply theoretical and academic training to practice.
• Ability to assess, formulate and intervene effectively.
• Ability to perform clinical duties in a timely manner.
• Ability to efficiently and effectively manage workload.
• Ability to use clinical reasoning to decision make to a high standard.
• Ability to meet the physical demands of a music therapy role.
• Ability to supervise others and enable development of their skills.
• Ability to train and consult to staff and help promote the service internally and externally.
• Proactively identifies own training needs and pursues on own initiative.
• Strong sense of professional integrity.
• To work flexibly to meet the needs of the service.
• Excellent verbal, non-verbal and written skills.
• Ability to tailor communication to audiences to promote the CYPF best interests.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent ability to respond to feedback.
• Skills relating to measuring outcome, auditing perform of the service against service standards.
• Effective time management skills to help balance clinical work, supporting and supervising team members and service development.
• Ability to work in an appropriately autonomous manner.

Desirable

• Prepares for and uses supervision effectively.
• Ability to present to small and large mixed audiences.
• Excellent skills in software packages relevant to the post.
• Ability to meet the physical demands of the role.
• Risk assessment skills.

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Strong ethical and compassionate principles.
• Prioritises CYPF needs.
• Positive and collaborative.
• Friendly, warm and empathic
• High level of self-regulation.
• High level of personal integrity and accountability.
• Commitment to the vision and values of The Childrens Trust.
• Flexible and can do attitude to competing commitments in workload.
• Highly motivated and reliable.
• Ability to cope working in a demanding environment.

Experience

Essential

• A minimum of 2 years post qualification experience as a Music Therapist.
• Substantial experience of working with children and young people and families (CYPF).
• Experience of using theoretically informed approaches to support CYPF who have been exposed to trauma.
• Substantial experience of working with CYP with additional needs in the form of social, emotional, physical, cognitive and identity needs.
• Experience of working with clients who have an acquired brain injury.
• Experience working in empowering parent-child interactions.
• Experience of working with 0-1years.
• Experience working with non-verbal CYP.
• Experience in working with CYP in Disorders of Consciousness.
• Experience of collaborative working as part of a multidisciplinary team..
• Experience of using music technology within interventions.
• Experience of developing, delivering and monitoring tailored groups for CYP.

Desirable

• Experience of working in spinal cord injury.
• Experience of working in functional neurological disorder.

Knowledge

Essential

• Knowledge of child development.
• Knowledge of how NMT can be used to support cognitive rehabilitation for CYP.
• Knowledge of advanced music therapy techniques for acquired brain injury.
• Knowledge of relevant NHS and NICE guidance.
• Knowledge and ability to draw upon a wide range of theoretical frameworks to inform practise as a music therapist.
• Knowledge and understanding of safeguarding children and young people with complex disabilities.
• Knowledge of relevant outcome measures and statutory outcome requirements.
• Knowledge of current research, clinical audit and service evaluation methods.

Desirable

• Knowledge of current research, clinical audit and service evaluation methods.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).