Hertfordshire has been selected as the second Centre of Excellence for Music and Dementia by the National Academy for Social Prescribing (NASP) through its Power of Music Fund. This pioneering initiative will use the power of music to transform dementia care across the county, improving the lives of thousands of people living with dementia and upskilling care staff to integrate music into everyday practice.
Charlotte Osborn-Forde, Chief Executive Officer of The National Academy for Social Prescribing, said:
"Music can be a lifeline for people living with dementia, offering comfort, connection, and moments of joy. We know how vital it is for our health and social care workforce to understand its benefits and feel confident using music techniques to provide support. This funding will help to develop, test, and scale up a model that can be used across the country - ensuring that many more people can experience the transformative power of music.”
Led by Age UK Hertfordshire, in partnership with the Hertfordshire Care Providers Association (HCPA), Music24, 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.
Mark Hanna, CEO of Age UK Hertfordshire, said:
“We are very excited about working with our partners to deliver this innovative programme of work. We bring a wealth of experience from across the partnership in supporting people living with dementia, their carers and the wider health and social care workforce. We aim to harness this experience and channel it into a transformative programme which will improve the lives of those impacted by dementia. Our vision over the next several months is to implement this work in Hertfordshire with a view to potentially expand beyond the borders as the programme progresses.”
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.
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. Music24, a local charity specialising in music therapy, 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.
Teela Hughes-Davis, CEO of Music24, said:
“This is such an exciting and important project to be working on and we feel very fortunate to be able to bring this to people in Hertfordshire and beyond. Music24 has supported hundreds of people with dementia over the last 10 years and knows all too well the challenges that care homes face and how difficult end-of-life care can be.
“With this fund, we can now bring more music than ever to people with dementia - and at a time in their lives when what they’re able to engage in is so very limited - by up-skilling care staff across the county.
“Music, and the way we use it, has a beautiful way of connecting people. Building and maintaining these connections is vital for people living with dementia as their ability to communicate with loved ones and the world around them sadly breaks down. Using music to promote compassionate care will create better understanding and improve the quality of life for everyone living and working in care homes. We can’t wait to change more lives through the power of music!”
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 help 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.
The National Academy for Social Prescribing’s Power of Music Fund has been made possible through the generous support of The Rayne Foundation and The Utley Foundation, among others. The first Centre of Excellence for Music and Dementia was established in Manchester in 2024, led by Manchester Camerata.
