Key Changes Music Therapy supports vulnerable children, adults and older people throughout Hampshire and bordering areas.
Those referred to our service have a variety of diagnoses including learning difficulties, autistic spectrum disorders, mental health needs or dementia. Most struggle with emotional well-being, confidence and feelings of self-worth. Most have difficulties with communication, many are non-verbal.
As laid out in its Memorandum and Articles, the five Objects of the charity are:
Music therapy through Key Changes enables sharing, relating, self-confidence and personal growth, and improves access to education and other life-enhancing activities.
Objects 1 to 3 have been Key Changes main focus. These have been met through the provision of music therapy to individuals and groups. Key Changes has recruited a pool of qualified and experienced self-employed music therapists, currently 14, each of whom is registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), to deliver music therapy services through the charity, currently 57 therapy contracts. Therapists are assigned to specific organisations to provide music therapy according to their availability and expertise. Many have longstanding relationships with their assigned establishments and clients. Therapy mostly takes place weekly, for an agreed period of time - on average around one year per client.
Case studies and short therapy ‘stories’ can be found at www.keychanges.org/adults and www.keychanges.org/stories When possible, Key Changes therapists have worked collaboratively with other professionals such as Art Therapists, Physiotherapists and Speech and Language Therapists.
Object 4 is met in collaboration between the therapy coordinator, therapist and client or partner organisation in setting up new work. Presentations are provided for specific organisations and client groups. Once work is established, therapists produce annual or bi-annual reports for staff and / or parents. Many of the therapists are sufficiently skilled to deliver training to upskill staff, parents and other stakeholders. In addition, links have been established with local organisations - primarily amateur music-making groups, to both raise awareness of music therapy and boost fundraising.
With respect to Object 5, the charity is developing its remit to carry out evidence-based work. The focus for this has so far been music therapy with nursery-aged children who have special needs, and music therapy in dementia care. Volunteers have worked with Key Changes to produce short films on work in these two clinical areas. These films, combined with other evidence, have helped to develop similar work in new settings. Published tools used for these formal evaluations have been the Music Therapy Outcomes Star for nursery and primary-aged children with special needs, and the MiDAScales for dementia care. Data from Key Changes evaluations and from clinical research published through the British Association for Music Therapy, have been used successfully in funding applications.
