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This year we are combining our Annual Report and Impact Report in one document which aims to provide an overview of the work that Chiltern Music Therapy has carried out over this last financial year.
At its heart, Chiltern is about the people we work with and the clients, families, and professionals we support throughout England. We are fortunate to have a passionate and dedicated team and are eager to share our work with others.
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Our core values—Care, Listen, Deepen, Dare, and Share—ensure that everyone we interact with matters to us. They are not just recipients of our services, but potential agents of change, partners, collaborators, and advocates of our profession. We continue to push boundaries, daring to be different while passionately sharing our knowledge, experience, and stories.
We hope that you enjoy reading about Chiltern and the impact of our work, and we always welcome any opportunity to discuss it further with you.
At Chiltern Music Therapy we strive for a caring world where music therapy is the transformative thread in everyday life. Together we harness the power of music, inspire through human story and fascinate through science to light up a network of champions.
As a self-managed and employee owned company we operate within a circle structure, each ‘circle’ representing a different department responsible for a specific area of the organisation.
Learn more about the circle structureThe goal of our Acute Care programme is to provide immediate support to clients during critical times of need, typically within hospital settings.
A collaborative music therapy service was delivered to support the well-being of patients (working towards individual patient needs and goals) as well as the families and staff.
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Lucy*, is a 3-year-old girl who was involved in a serious road traffic accident and suffered a traumatic brain injury as well as other critical injuries. The Music Therapist first met Lucy and her mother from a referral from a Doctor to support Lucy’s gradual emergence from an unconscious state and to support her rehabilitation with the therapies team.
*The names of mentioned participant have been changed to ensure anonymity.
Read the full case studyfocuses on supporting people to maximise their potential, or to support a client’s rehabilitation and recovery after experiencing trauma or injury.
Chiltern Music Therapy was delighted to run a pilot project at the Moor Green Outpatient Brain Injury Unit at Moseley Hall Hospital, starting in August 2023.
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Following a stroke, Barry* was left with weakness on his right side, and global aphasia, which impacted his movement and speech. A Greek musician with strong ties to his community, his impairments left Barry feeling a profound sense of loss, as he could no longer participate in many of the activities he had previously loved. With this in mind, Barry was referred to receive Neurologic Music Therapy, with the hope of elevating his mood.
*The names of mentioned participant have been changed to ensure anonymity.
Read the full case studyThe Continuing Care programme offers support to help people maintain their therapy goals over the medium and long term.
Farnham Mill and Hill House Nursing and Dementia Homes, privately owned care homes on the Surrey-Hampshire borders, have been receiving weekly Music Therapy service from Chiltern Music Therapy since June 2023.
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One of our Music Therapists, Emma, has been facilitating a project in four NHS wards – two dementia assessment wards and two inpatient wards. Patients in these settings are either being assessed, or are living with dementia with challenging behaviour. During this project, Emma has delivered music therapy sessions to inpatients with varying levels of dementia, to promote their emotional wellbeing, increase their motivation, and to reduce any feelings of isolation.
Read the full case studyAs a longer term programme of care, Preventative Care aims to keep people connected in order to reduce isolation and reliance on health and social care.
Together in Time is a Community Singing Group that meets weekly at the Park Theatre, Finsbury Park, London. The group’s purpose is to promote the wellbeing of older adults who may be isolated, have a diagnosis of Dementia, and/or experience other degenerative or mental health conditions.
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Thomas, who lives with Alzheimers, was referred to the Together in Time group by his wife Edna, with the hopes of supporting better cognition, improving his language, and enjoyment through singing and music making.
*The names of mentioned participant have been changed to ensure anonymity.
Read the full case studyOur disseminative programme of care is dedicated to sharing, researching, and disseminating our work and expertise to benefit others. It aims to increase the reach and impact of our music therapy services and best practices.
From April 2023 to March 2024, we continued to expand and diversify our training offerings, delivering over 40 high-quality sessions. These sessions attracted Music Therapists, healthcare professionals, educators, aspiring Music Therapists, and more. We also provided presentations, talks, and lectures to students, community groups, Multidisciplinary Teams, neurorehabilitation units, and case managers.
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In January 2024 we set up an Outcomes Star™ freelancers account, benefiting freelance Music Therapists. Chiltern Music Therapy's licence account allows freelancers access to the Star Online platform and all stars, including the Music Therapy Star, for one year at a reduced cost, supporting impact measurement through outcome measures.
Our second NEST cohort was a notable success, involving both newly and recently qualified Music Therapists. This cohort benefited from peer group supervisions, mentoring, and accredited CPD sessions, fostering a supportive and enriching learning environment. Participants valued the opportunity to connect with peers and gain insights from experienced practitioners.
This year we have focussed on making systemic changes to the ways that we manage decision making, risk and opportunities.
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“Good Service User involvement is hard to create. It takes time and sustained willingness to achieve- and most importantly its not something that is done, and then moved on from. It is something ongoing, a regular spot on the agenda and an integral part of the way community organisations work.”
Chiltern Insights Group Member
At Chiltern Music Therapy, we have made a commitment to reducing our impact on the environment and to act in an environmentally sustainable manner (Environmental Policy and Action Plan, September 2021).
This report outlines the results of our second full year of carbon emissions data (April 2023 – March 2024), which will be compared to the baseline figures published this time last year. N.B. Last year’s total amount has been updated from 38.98 to 39.14 tCO2e due to an error in the unit of public transport data.
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As seen above, our carbon footprint has reduced from 39.14 to 32.29 tCO2e between 2022/23 and 2023/24, a decrease of 17.5%. This change has mainly come from a reduction in staff petrol car emissions, no flights being used, and no longer having a permanent office.
Check out the full 2023-2024 Sustainability Report hereFundraising is vital to Chiltern, enabling us to provide music therapy and community music support to those who might otherwise miss out. Our fundraising efforts have included community events, online campaigns, and corporate sponsorships, which not only raised funds but also increased awareness. We are grateful for the trust placed in us and remain dedicated to securing sustainable funding for our mission of enhancing lives through music therapy.
Rothschild Foundation
Buckinghamshire County Council Community Prevention Fund
Children In Need
Music for All
Quartet Community Foundation
Parkinson’s UK, Bath District
Mobbs Memorial Trust
Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust
The Clare Foundation - Angel’s Den
We are incredibly grateful for the generous contributions from our individual donors, as well as the wonderful support from local choirs, bands, and orchestras. Their passion for music and commitment to our cause has played a vital role in sustaining our work.
Read more in the PDFAt Chiltern, we are looking ahead to 2024-2025 with optimism. We are aware of and prepared for the challenges that may present themselves, particularly around the cost of living, and ongoing budget-related pressures for both ourselves and our clients. Nevertheless, we remain focused on the future and have begun several exciting pilot projects that we look forward to sharing with you throughout the year.
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Launching new services and trialling a new Practitioner Support role within the therapy team.
Establishing a new Music Therapy service within the NICU at The Whittington Hospital in North London.
Expanding our Neurologic Music Therapy services.
Collaborating with the Academy for Neurologic Music Therapy to host a three-day clinical practice workshop.
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For more information about this report, please contact: info@chilternmusictherapy.co.uk