Music therapists’ perspectives on returning to practice after lockdown at a Special Educational Needs School in London, UK

Abstract

After the partial lifting of lockdown in late 2020, music therapy services which had moved online were able to resume some in-person contact, but within certain restrictions. For one SEN school-based NHS music therapy service these included the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks and gloves and, for some at-risk clients, continued use of online techniques. This ‘hybrid’ way of working presented new challenges, choices, and opportunities for innovation. This qualitative study used a recorded online focus group discussion to collect data on the experiences of music therapists in a single SEN school setting. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to identify seven themes, which were: Therapeutic priorities were identified, Therapeutic challenges were experienced, The school community was a crucial resource, Pragmatism as a response to difficulty, Positive side-effects of adaptation, Innovations in practice, and Future pitfalls. It was found that innovations in practice were seen as potentially helpful for future practice, particularly where they allowed for greater accessibility for some clients, while the benefits of in-person work were acknowledged.