Senior Music Therapist

Job description

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical:
• To be professionally and legally responsible for all aspects of work, including the management of patients in your care

• To provide specialist music therapy assessment and treatment for children presenting with a wide range of developmental needs

• To lead the delivery of clinical services for a specific site.
• To implement a range of specialist interventions drawn from different evidence based theoretical models
• To offer a flexible provision of care to the families in our service in liaison with the MDT and others working with a child, providing joint interventions as appropriate
• To actively seek the views and involvement of families as part of clinical delivery and service development

• To identify and develop particular areas of clinical practice within the service, and lead their implementation across the team

• To demonstrate a sensitive approach to the diverse needs of the children and families who access the service
• To adhere to Trust policies relating to confidentiality.
• To maintain accurate and up-to-date patient records and statistics in line with Trust and HCPC standards.
• To adhere to governance policies and procedures and be aware of relevant documents/briefings from bodies.
• To be responsible for the supervision of trainee music therapists.
• To demonstrate good time management and organisational skills during daily management of own workload and to be able to adapt flexibly to changes
• To continue to develop professional expertise and knowledge through continuing professional development
• To carry out practical, clinically related tasks as necessary

Leadership and management:
• To make appropriate and timely referrals to other members of the multidisciplinary team when required.
• To deputise for the lead music therapists during periods of absence to ensure effective day to day organisation of the team's workload.
• To understand and apply clinical governance principles to your own caseload and contribute to and lead departmental clinical governance sessions
• To contribute to service and policy developments within the music therapy team and across wider AHP services in the Trust.
• To develop and maintain effective communication and working relationships with other colleagues within the Trust.
• To provide clinical support and guidance, and to act as a resource for clinical knowledge to other professionals both within and external to the Trust.
• To understand and manage service developments and changes with colleagues.
• To lead on the implementation of audit and service evaluations.
• To be involved in purchase of equipment and consumable stock, including furniture, electrical goods, stationery and specialist music therapy equipment.

Education & research:
• To contribute to clinical supervision of trainee music therapists, supporting where appropriate the development of research projects which are deemed relevant to the service.
• To be involved in data collection for research and audits being undertaken in each area and to be able to monitor and implement change.
• To be involved in, audit and research projects, presenting as required.
• To participate in promoting music therapy through workshops, parent forums, and seminars where appropriate

Professional development:
• To maintain a high standard of care and professional conduct in accordance with the requirements of the HCPC ensuring that staff and trainees you are responsible for do likewise.
• To maintain professional registration with the Health and Care Professions Council.
• To ensure that all mandatory training is completed within the required timescales. To assess own training and development needs, participating in regular clinical and managerial supervision.

Person specification

Education and Qualifications

Essential criteria

• HCPC Registered as a Music Therapist
• MA training in Music Therapy (or equivalent)
• Evidence of further training in an area related to child health

Desirable criteria

• Membership of The British Association for Music Therapy
• Membership of British Association for Music Therapy Children Young People and Families Clinical Interest Group
• Research project experience which links to the area of children's health

Experience

Essential criteria

• Recent substantial experience of working with children between the ages of 0 - 6 with developmental difficulties
• Experience of working with a range of professionals across health, social care, or education settings.
• Experience of working and contributing effectively within a multi-disciplinary team which includes AHP colleagues e.g. OT, SALT, Physiotherapy
• Experience of music therapy work which actively involves parents and/or carers in music therapy sessions
• Experience of providing managerial and clinical supervision to music therapy trainees and qualified music therapists, and liaison with higher education training courses
• Consolidated experience running children's music therapy groups with music therapists or other professionals using a variety of flexible approaches
• Recent experience of joint working with other professionals
• Experience of providing teaching and training to professionals and carers on the benefits of music making and music therapy
• Experience of leading and implementing service development, research and audit
• Experience of providing teaching and training to professionals and carers on the benefits of music making and music therapy within child/family health settings

Desirable criteria

• Experience of presenting music therapy practice, service evaluation and research to audiences other than music therapists
• Experience of contributing as a music therapist to multi-agency/professional meetings e.g. TAC meetings (Team Around the Child), CIN meetings (Child in Need)
• Experience of leadership/management within a MDT setting
• Experience of music therapy working pre and post neurodevelopmental diagnosis
• Experience of working in children's centres or other early years settings
• Knowledge or direct support of arts-in-health initiatives

Skills and knowledge

Essential criteria

• Ability to take responsibility for clinical work from referral through to discharge
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team
• In-depth, highly specialist knowledge of child development music therapy practice with children who have a wide variety of additional needs
• Ability to communicate effectively in an often highly emotive clinical setting and identify and assess risk accordingly
• Ability to demonstrate an evidence based approach to work
• Ability to communicate effectively with other professionals, parents, and children of all ages and abilities
• Diplomacy and sensitivity dealing with children and families who are in crisis
• Excellent organisational and presentation skills
• Awareness of professional and personal boundaries
• Ability to demonstrate knowledge of governance and clinical risk management principles
• Computer literate

Desirable criteria

• Knowledge of other relevant therapeutic approaches
• Knowledge of relevant initiatives and policies to support children with SEND and their families

Recruitment Fraud Warning

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All legitimate recruitment communications and applications will be made through our official careers website and published contact details. If you receive a job offer or recruitment communication requesting payment, please do not make any payment and verify it with us using the contact details published on our official careers website.

Important

• There may be some occasions when we have to close a vacancy earlier than the advertised closing date, this will be due to a high volume of applications. You are therefore advised to submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
• Please check your emails regularly (and your junk folder) as this is how we will communicate with you throughout the recruitment process.
• In submitting an application, you authorise the Trust to confirm any previous NHS service details via the Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) process, should you be appointed to the post.
• During the recruitment process your identity documentation (ie passport, driving licence, visa etc) will be scanned using a device which recognises UV, infrared and machine-readable zone security features of the documents provided.
• Employment at the Trust is offered subject to successful completion of a six month probationary period.
• Some roles may require weekend shift working across multiple sites
• We operate a joint recruitment hub across the North West London Acute Provider Collaborative Group. As part of this, your application and personal data may be shared with partner trusts within the group for recruitment and workforce purposes, in line with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

Right to work

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