What we do

Our intensive therapeutic day programme (IRIS) is a specialist team of professionals with qualifications and experience in offering therapy and treatment. 

These include psychosocial activities and work groups run for full days (09:30 to 15:30) by psychosocial pracitioners, individual therapy sessions usually twice weekly, small group analysis weekly and family therapy. We aim to work together to the principles of a therapeutic community.

The department offers training and supervised placements to nurses, doctors and therapists in training.

We set goals and care plans alongside people in the community programme in support of their care co-ordinator and professionals from inpatient or community teams. The model is one of combined therapy concentrating on rehabilitation and recovery of relationships and independence. We work with people while in hospital, to avoid being too long in hospital and to facilitate discharge from hospital with approximately six months in the intensive therapeutic day programme and a follow up, step down supportive treatment community plan available usually for up to 2½ years.

The core values of the therapeutic community we aspire to are:-

• Attachment
  Healthy attachment is a developmental requirement for all human beings, and should be seen as a basic human right.
• Containment
  A safe and supportive environment is required for an individual to develop, to grow, or to change.
• Respect
  People need to feel respected and valued by others to be healthy. Everybody is unique and nobody should be defined or described by their problems alone.
• Communication
  All behaviour has meaning and represents communication which deserves understanding.
• Interdependence
  Personal wellbeing arises from one's ability to develop relationships which recognise mutual need.
• Relationships
  Understanding how you relate to others and how others relate to you leads to better intimate, family, social and working relationships.
• Participation
  Ability to influence one's environment and relationships is necessary for personal well-being. Being involved in decision-making is required for shared participation, responsibility, and ownership.
• Process
  There is not always a right answer and it is often useful for individuals, groups and larger organisations to reflect rather than act immediately.
• Balance
  Positive and negative experiences are necessary for healthy development of individuals, groups and the community.
• Responsibility
  Each individual has responsibility to the group, and the group in turn has collective responsibility to all individuals in it.

Taken from Association of Therapeutic Communities - These Core Values were identified through a process of consultation conducted by the Community of Communities (2008).