Senior Music Therapist

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; Greater London; On-site; GBP 58,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Secondments considered

CPD opportunities

Administrative assistance

Job summary

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Senior Music Therapist with HCPC registration and substantial experience with children with complex developmental needs. The post involves collaboration with families, the music therapy team, and multidisciplinary colleagues across child development services in Central London.

The role includes supervision, management duties, and flexible response to diverse health and social needs, with opportunities for CPD and service

Qualifications

• HCPC registered Music Therapist with substantial experience in children with complex developmental needs.
• Experience supervising and managing others within a music therapy team.
• Ability to collaborate with families, multidisciplinary colleagues and professionals.

Responsibilities

• Provide highly specialist music therapy assessment and intervention.
• Lead on site-specific management and contribute to service planning.
• Supervise trainees and coordinate clinical governance within the team.
• Teach and train staff and carers; participate in research and CPD.
• Engage with community settings and develop CPD activities.
• Maintain HCPC standards and clinical governance throughout the service.

Skills

Experience with complex developmental

Clinical supervision

Management responsibilities

Team collaboration

Teaching and training

Research involvement

Audit/data collection

Education

HCPC Registration as Music Therapist

MA in Music Therapy / equivalent

Further training in child health

BA Music Therapy membership

MBUK/BAMT groups membership

Research experience in children's health

Job description

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Senior Music Therapist

The closing date is 23 November 2026

An excellent opportunity exists for an HCPC registered Music Therapist with substantial experience working with children presenting with complex developmental needs to develop their skills further. The post holder will work closely and in collaboration with families, the music therapy team and multidisciplinary colleagues

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital offers a comprehensive child development music therapy service for children and families. We provide assessment and therapy across three Child Development Centres in Central London. We also offer a range of music therapy input to local children's centres and nurseries as well as training and consultation for professionals and parents/carers.

We are looking for a Music Therapist with substantial experience who is able to work both independently and autonomously as well as effectively within a music therapy and wider multi professional team. This post holder will be experienced in supervision and management responsibilities and be able to respond flexibly and effectively to supporting the needs of children with a wide variety of health, developmental and social needs. They will also be responsive to families who benefit from joined up collaborative work with other related professionals.

Excellent support will be provided including clinical supervision, regular managerial supervision, CPD opportunities and administrative assistance.

Secondments will be considered.

Main duties of the job

To provide highly specialist music therapy assessment and intervention, using evidence based principles and current best practice, and maintain accurate records.

To lead on specific management responsibilities as well as contribute to strategic planning and service developments.

Operational management and clinical supervision responsibilities for qualified and trainee music therapists in the team.

To provide consultation, teaching and training at undergraduate/post-graduate level, to child health/education staff, related professionals and parents.

To work within a range of community settings, which could include child development centres, children's centres, nurseries and local schools.

To implement service audits and evaluations, develop and lead CPD, and participate in research.

To be a role model for expert clinical care, and the identified Trust values at all times.

About us

Our Trust is one of England's top-performing and safest trusts. We operate two main acute hospital sites--Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and West Middlesex University Hospital--along with award-winning clinics across North West London.

Our nearly 7,500 staff care for a diverse population of 1.5m, providing full clinical services including maternity, A&E and children's services, plus specialist HIV and sexual health care. The CQC rates us Good in safety, effectiveness, care and responsiveness, and Outstanding in leadership and resource use.

We continually invest in our facilities, including a £30m expansion of critical care at Chelsea and an £80m Ambulatory Diagnostic Centre at West Mid.

We are delivering sustainable healthcare through our Green Plan. In line with Greener NHS ambitions, we aim for net zero carbon emissions by 2045. Achieving this requires collective effort. We encourage staff to reduce their impact on carbon, waste and pollution wherever possible. Every action counts to create a healthier, more sustainable future.

We are committed to equal opportunities and believe diversity drives innovation and excellence. We welcome applications from the global majority, veterans and underrepresented communities, valuing the perspectives they bring.

Job 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 teams 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

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

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

• 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
• 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

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

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.

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

£58,133 to £65,261 a yearper annum incl. HCAS (pro rata)