Music Therapist

Job summary
Are you an HCPC-registered Music Therapist with a passion for using creative expression to support children and young people through complex emotional and psychological challenges?

We are looking for a dedicated, innovative, and empathetic Music Therapist to join our vibrant team at Kent and Medway Adolescent Hospital (KMAH)--a 14-bedded inpatient unit dedicated to young people's mental health. In this rewarding role, you will take the lead in designing, establishing, and delivering a specialist clinical music therapy service, working across both individual and group modalities.

You will join a supportive, fast-paced, and reflective multidisciplinary team (MDT) that genuinely values creativity and collaborative care. If you are looking for an opportunity where your clinical insight is celebrated and where you can make a meaningful, lasting impact on young lives, we would love to hear from you.

The post holder must hold a full, valid, UK driving licence and have access to a car/vehicle to use for business purposes (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010).

Main duties of the job

• Clinical Assessment & Delivery: Conduct specialist assessments for children and young people with complex, high-risk needs. Design and facilitate flexible, safe, and creative 1:1 and group music therapy sessions tailored to individual therapeutic goals.
• Service Development: Independently establish and shape the music therapy provision within the unit, developing creative, evidence-based interventions.
• Multidisciplinary Teamwork: Maintain close, proactive communication with MDT colleagues, sharing insights to ensure holistic patient care.
• Clinical Supervision & Advice: Provide specialist guidance, consultation, and clinical supervision to colleagues, trainees, and wider multidisciplinary teams where appropriate.
• Risk & Safeguarding: Swiftly identify, manage, and escalate clinical risk and safeguarding concerns in line with trust protocols and national guidelines.
• Documentation & Governance: Maintain accurate, timely, and confidential clinical records in accordance with professional standards.
• Professional Practice: Maintain registration and practice in alignment with HCPC guidelines, demonstrating an ongoing commitment to Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

About us
We are Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust. We care for the mental health and wellbeing of people across Kent and Medway and are rated 'Good' by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Our teams support children, young people and adults with a wide range of mental health needs. We also provide specialist services, including all-age eating disorder services and neurodevelopmental assessments for children and young people, such as autism and ADHD.

Because we work across the whole county and across hospital and community settings, we can make care more joined up and easier to access for the people we serve.

Our vision is simple: we are here to help communities not just live with mental illness, but live well. It's why we're passionate about working with communities to make mental health care better for everyone. Everything we do is guided by our values: caring, inclusive, curious and confident.

Join us if you share our passion for better mental health care and want to be part of a team that's working well together.

Job responsibilities
Please refer to the attached job description for the full details on the responsibilities and person specification

Person Specification
Experience
Essential

• A number of years in employment as an Music Therapist post training
• Experience of working with difficult disturbed, or challenging children/young people requiring skilled and complex interventions
• Experience of specialist assessment carried out autonomously in order to determine the most appropriate treatment plan from a range of options for the child/ young person
• Experience of working therapeutically with patients/carers/ families of children and young people with complex mental health problems

Desirable

• Experience of working and delivering music therapy treatment in inpatient settings with older people and people with dementia

Training, Qualifications and Registration
Essential

• To be eligible for registration as a full member of the appropriate professional body: HCPC, BACP, UKCP, AFT, ACP)
• NVQ Level 2 or equivalent standard or equivalent standard of literacy and numeracy
• Successful completion of a post-graduate training (e.g. Arts Psychotherapy, Clinical Psychology, Family Therapy, Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy)

Knowledge and Skills
Essential

• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively highly complex and sensitive matters to patients, which give rise to psychological distress
• Capacity to work alone, involving colleagues and manager as relevant

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.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

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.
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).