Parent Spotlight: the importance of family knowledge in developing long-standing relationships with young people with additional needs
Parent Spotlight: the importance of family knowledge in developing long-standing relationships with young people with additional needs.
Ros Hawley, Songbirds Music UK
“Music in many ways is comforting and engaging and offers escape into your own world, this can result in a happy healthy person.”
Shirley, Bennett, mum to Oscar.
In March 2024 we ran our Conference, Wingbeats, at The Royal Northen College of Music in Manchester to share learning from our Youth Music Programme, Taking Wing. Our work is centred around the children and young people of Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital – developing new opportunities for young patients to engage in music making in person and remotely, and for young and emerging music leaders to take part in new opportunities that build skills and confidence in hospital music making
At the Conference we held a consultation session, and invited a panel of young people from across our programme to share with delegates their experiences of music making and its role in supporting their own health and wellbeing . All of the young people who participated, and some of our Young Creator musicians, have lived experience of being in hospital. Oscar Bennett, who is involved in our current Youth Music funded project, his mum, Shirley, and family support worker Sian took part in the panel and consultation activities. Oscar originally came into contact with us several years ago at Royal Manchester Children's Hospital during one of his many inpatient stays. At the Conference, Oscar and mum Shirley raised awareness of the challenges faced by young people with additional and complex needs when in hospital, and shared why music is important in their daily life.
Today Oscar takes part in sessions via zoom as part of our remote residencies for young people with additional needs and health challenges. Not only do these sessions provide personalised music making sessions for Oscar at home at a time that is convenient to him and his family, meaning he is able to fully engage, relax and fully benefit from the sessions, the sessions give our young team a specialised, focused experience of working with young people with additional needs, whilst learning alongside a more experienced musician who leads and guides their younger colleague through paired leadership.
Shirley has very kindly given permission for the speech she wrote for Wingbeats to be shared here as a case study. For us, having Shirley and Oscar share their experiences - through their own thoughts, words and feelings - is so important; input of this kind continually guides us in being able to develop our programme, ensuring young people are at its heart. Not only does Oscar benefit from accessing musical activity in his leisure time at home through Youth Music’s support - the musicians, especially our Young Creator musicians, learn from Oscar as to how to adapt and develop their practise to make it accessible and meaningful to non-verbal young people.
Here is what Shirley had to say about Oscar’s involvement with Songbirds:
“Oscar has spent time in hospital over the years, at Pendlebury, Booth Hall and later at the new Children’s Hospital in Manchester. There was some involvement with play staff but no music therapy available until Manchester. Music, songs, nursery rhymes have always been a part of Oscar’s life to the point where he associates certain songs with specific people. He knows when favourite songs are coming in his favourite films.
When he has been in hospital, having someone come over with an instrument and playing calming soothing music is a relief from being probed by doctors and nurses so he knows no one will be sticking a needle in him. His body totally responds to a relaxed state, that he has been known to fall asleep.
Since then, he has been lucky enough to have some sessions via Zoom. The musicians involved have made enquiries as to Oscar’s likes and interests and have adapted the session to incorporate songs he knows. We play his instruments and make it as sensory as possible with his toys and animals, and it is great to see him respond with smiles and laughing. He reacts to fast and slow music, which is funny when he closes his eyes to slow music ready for a doze. Music in many ways is comforting and engaging and offers escape into your own world, this can result in a happy healthy person.
As a mother it is lovely to see Oscar responding in such a way, as he is non-verbal. At home we are always singing to him, and it is a great way to cheer him up and entertain him.”
