Music24 is exceptionally proud to announce our involvement in a pioneering initiative that will use the power of music to transform dementia care across Hertfordshire, improving the lives of thousands of people living with dementia and upskilling care staff to integrate music into everyday practice.
Hertfordshire has been selected as the UK’s second Centre of Excellence for Music and Dementia by the National Academy for Social Prescribing (NASP) through its Power of Music Fund. Greater Manchester was named as the first Centre of Excellence in 2024.
Led by Age UK Hertfordshire, in partnership with Music24, the Hertfordshire Care Providers Association (HCPA), Hertfordshire County Council and other expert organisations, and forming part of the Hertfordshire Dementia Strategy Delivery programme led by the Hertfordshire Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism (MHLDA) Health and Care Partnership, the project will develop and deliver a comprehensive training programme for care professionals. The goal is to create Music Champions within 100 care homes, training 6,000 staff to embed therapeutic music techniques into dementia care, benefiting approximately 5,800 residents over the funded period.
Music has been proven to help people with dementia communicate, reduce anxiety and depression, improve self-esteem, stimulate memory, and reconnect with their cultural identity. This initiative will create personalised music experiences for residents by considering their musical preferences and histories. Care staff will be trained in various techniques, including passive and active music listening, singing and playing instrument, talking about music and encouraging reminiscence, and dancing and movement-based engagement.
Music24 will lead the training development alongside HCPA, drawing on expertise from organisations such as Herts Musical Memories, Music For My Mind and the Hertfordshire Music Service. The training programme will be co-produced with experts, care staff, and people living with dementia, ensuring it meets real-life needs and creates lasting impact.
To ensure sustainability, the programme will establish a Music Champion’s Network, providing ongoing peer support and professional development for trained staff. The initiative will also be evaluated in partnership with the University of Hertfordshire and Hertfordshire County Council Public Health, ensuring robust data collection to measure the long-term impact on staff confidence, resident wellbeing, and care home culture.
Through this project, Hertfordshire is set to lead the way in embedding music into dementia care on a large scale, influencing both local and national approaches. The Centre of Excellence will not only support care homes but also eventually extend training opportunities to community groups, mental health services, and hospices, ensuring that more people can benefit from the life-changing power of music.
Further details on this programme will follow as it develops over the next few months. We look forward to working with all partners on this exciting initiative!
