Our Impact

As a therapy organisation we consider our impact from varying perspectives. As therapists we think about the best way to observe and measure outcomes with each of our clients in order to provide them with the optimum support for their needs. Organisationally we want to measure how many people we have been able to reach and support through our services, and how effective our services are. Additionally, we have also been seeking to broaden our reach to help as many people as possible to understand about the power of music therapy. We do this through our social media, our trainings ,and through attending and presenting at exhibitions and conferences.

We are privileged to continue supporting clients across the ages - our youngest was 24 weeks and our oldest client was 98 - and in a range of settings; in the community at home, in residential settings, in hospitals, in schools, in rehabilitation. Whilst digital continues to play an important role in our offer (and always will do) 92% of our clients are now seen in person again.

Highlights from the year include:

• Expanding our external training programme, including a new support programme for newly qualified Music Therapists.

• Providing the music therapy clinical component of the international research study measuring Music Interventions for Dementia and Depression in Elderly Care (MIDDEL) in collaboration with Nottingham University.

• Expanding our clinical hub in Chesham to a full day’s service.

• The launch of our user-led Insights Group to ensure we are truly listening and responding to the needs of our clients.

We have been continuing to use our communications channels, including social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn), website and newsletter to grow a community of music therapy champions so that more people will know about the power of music therapy. Over the last 6 months we were able to reach over 100k people across our social channels and we engaged with 4000.

Highlights from our communications were:

• Our Use Your Voice campaign which ran throughout August designed to empower people to ‘use their voice’. This also included an exciting collaboration with Renée Yoxon, a trans voice coach.

• Our Music Therapist, Daryl being interviewed on BBC Radio 1’s Newsbeat.

• Our Christmas Campaign ‘Song Advent Calendar’, in which we wrote a song with our social media followers.

• Chiltern Choice, a monthly wrap-up of inspiring TV shows, Podcasts, Literature, Music and more, recommended by our team

For 2022-23 we have shortened our financial year to bring it in line with the traditional tax year, which means that we are only reflecting on nine months instead of twelve, with a resultant impact on the numbers. Numbers alone however don’t tell the full story of our impact; the human stories are what really brings it alive.

This year, for the first time, we have been measuring reasons for referral to music therapy. Overwhelmingly, the most common reason for referral is for Social Emotional and Mental Health support (35.5%). This is perhaps not surprising given the challenges so many are facing post Covid and with the cost of living crisis, and, in particular, the lack of timely support for children and young people’s mental health.