At Chiltern, we strive to make music therapy and community music available and inclusive to everyone, but recognise the barriers many people face in accessing specialist health and social care services. As well as this, there continue to be social inequalities and violence towards people with particular identities such as those outlined in the Equality Act.

We actively stand against any form of discrimination or harm, and as an organisation we are taking action to improve the equity of every person in our communities. We acknowledge the systemic issues that contribute to the oppression of marginalised groups and the lack of diversity within the Music Therapy profession, and are actively moving towards a more inclusive future.

Using an intersectional approach, we intend to make relevant, long-lasting progress and believe that careful consideration is needed to implement these changes rather than a fleeting acknowledgement to the cause.

Our mission is:
1. To improve individual practice and organisational structures so that we can:

• Make our services user-led and inclusive
• Make our services accessible to all, in particular for socially excluded groups
• Improve diversity and equality of the workforce

2. To collaborate with external groups and actively listen to community needs.
3. To educate ourselves, share our learning with others and influence the profession to take action on what we have learned.

Some projects we are currently working on:

• Running pilot music therapy and community music services for socially excluded groups
• Collaborating with service users and communities to influence our work
• Contributing to research in inclusive music therapy practice
• Inclusion training and consultancy for other professionals and organisations

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If you would like to know more about our inclusion work, would like to share your story or have any feedback for us then please get in touch.