Job responsibilities
Role Purpose:
To ensure the delivery of high-quality specialist therapeutic support to children and their families under the care of ellenor including bereaved children, children with life-limiting conditions and children of adult patients. To undertake assessments and use specialist skills and knowledge, working within a person-cantered approach, to implement group/individual sessions in a range of formats as appropriate to meet the needs of the service users.
Internal Key relationships
- Chief Executive
- Director of Care
- Director of Operations, HR and Education
- Executive Management Team
- Operational Lead Counselling and Psychosocial Services
- Senior Management Team
- Inpatient Unit
- Adult Hospice @ Home Service
- Childrens Service
- Therapy Staff
- Medical Team
- Facilities staff
- Clinical Administration Department
External Key relationships (this list is not exhaustive but identifies some of the key stakeholders)
- Local Schools
- Local community groups
- Social Services
- CAMHS
- Community Services (including nursing and therapies)
- GP Federation
- Local Kent and London Hospices
The duties outlined below are not definitive and may be changed in accordance with the needs of the organisation.
Clinical Responsibilities:
To assess patients for suitability for Music Therapy and undertake direct work using specialist therapeutic skills with patients and carers with highly complex emotional and psychosocial needs.
The ability to reflect and respond to the emotional content of clients individualised modes of communication, including auditory, visual, kinesthetic, verbal and non-verbal aspects of the patients expression and to identify appropriate therapeutic strategies.
To employ highly developed clinical skills and specialist Music Therapy techniques when establishing therapeutic relationships with referred clients.
To adapt practice to meet individual clients circumstances, including due regard for cultural differences.
To be responsible for, and demonstrate both organisational and clinical skills in, the management of own caseload.
To provide Music Therapy services to patients under the care of ellenor. This will include Face to Face therapy, therapy via Zoom, and in some circumstances will include visiting children in their school or home.
- To implement differential intervention programmes based on evidence from assessment.
- To ensure that clients and carers are involved in the planning of their care wherever possible.
- To ensure that there is an appropriate plan of support in place for each child which is clearly documented and evaluated.
- To form effective working relationships with other professionals in multi-disciplinary settings e.g. health, education, social services and all referring agents, contributing to clinical teams both inter-agency/multi-disciplinary and uni-disciplinary by discussing own and others input around client needs ensuring a well-coordinated care plan.
- Skills in handling patients with physical disabilities.
- The ability to manage children with challenging behaviours including the application of appropriate management strategies.
- To ensure a good level of clinical effectiveness by use of evidence-based practice and outcome measures.
- To work flexibly to help facilitate groups for children and parents outside core hours.
- To be vigilant regarding safeguarding issues and ensure that the Hospice Safeguarding policy is followed when appropriate.
- To maintain sensitivity at all times to the emotional needs of the client and their carers. In particular when imparting potentially distressing information, dealing with family trauma, following child protection protocols.
- To promote reflection on practice with peers and mentors and identify own strengths and development needs.
- To be responsible for managing and reviewing equipment needs within the service.
- To take responsibility for maintaining a safe and healthy therapeutic area.
- To work within infection control and health and safety guidelines in order to deal appropriate with unpleasant conditions related to client contact as they arise, for example: exposure to body fluids, infectious conditions.
- To share information with others, observing data protection guidelines.
To be involved in the training and education of staff at the ellenor and external organisation's as appropriate, on therapeutic and bereavement issues.
Where necessary, to ensure clients are referred on to services that potentially may more appropriately meet their psychological or spiritual needs.
To support the Children Service with services of remembrance, bereavement days for children and other family days.
Be proactive in communicating and liaising with the staff members within the workplace to ensure that the staff can make appropriate referrals.
Administration:
To provide statistics and reports as required.
To attend meetings as necessary, encouraging communication and aiding liaison both internally and externally.
To maintain up to date and accurate case notes in line with professional standards and local ellenor policies.
To hold client records securely and always maintain confidentiality.
Record Music Therapy work on audio or video when appropriate, write and securely retain notes on each session, and hold referral forms as appropriate.
Maintain written and verbal feedback on service users according to Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) policies.
Development, Education and Training:
- To provide support and appropriate training in relation to therapeutic skills to staff and volunteers working with children.
- Conduct workshops for training purposes when requested.
- To maintain professional registration and ensure continuing professional development in accordance with requirements of professional registering body.
- Be responsible for ongoing professional development through internal and external development opportunities.
- Keep supervision and CPD activities up to date and work alongside a professional development plan as appropriate and to ensure Standards of Proficiency for HCPC.
- Keep up to date with developments within Music Therapy and related fields in accordance with HCPC regulations
- Attend appropriate meetings of professional associations or other appropriate bodies.
Quality, Audit and research:
To actively contribute and take part in any quality measuring systems that the hospice may put in place with regard to the area of your expertise.
- To contribute to the development of therapeutic services at ellenor, including evaluation, research, audit.
To be aware of new developments in palliative care.
To participate in inter-disciplinary audit projects.
To participate in the hospice Clinical Governance programme.
Professional Conduct
- Each Registered Professional is responsible for his/her own actions and practice and is accountable to patients and those close to them for the care he/she administers he/she must abide by the appropriate code of professional conduct.
- Always maintain a high degree of professionalism, including when working in challenging situations.
Health and Safety:
- The post holder has responsibility to take reasonable care of self and others in relation to managing risk, health and safety and will be required to work within the appropriate policies and procedures.
General:
- Adapts and develops in line with the changing needs of the role
- Acts as an ambassador for ellenor in order to raise the profile of the organisation at a local, regional and national level, as required
- To maintain up to date mandatory and essential to role training
- Works flexibly across sites and departments from time to time as may be requested by their managers
- Undertakes other duties commensurate with the seniority of the post as may be requested by their managers
- To follow all policies and procedures
- The work within own professional Code of Conduct at all times
- To be aware of the staff values of the ellenor and to behave as a fit representative.
