Directing therapy at HMP grendon: Learning by experience

Brookes, M. (2009) Directing therapy at HMP grendon: Learning by experience. Therapeutic Communities, 30 (3). pp. 292-299. ISSN 0964-1866

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Abstract

This paper will describe the author's learning experience of being responsible for the management of the six therapeutic communities (TCs) at HMP Grendon, a Category B prison with a unique remit to provide therapy for up to 240 residents/prisoners. Coming from a non-TC background but with considerable experience as a prison-based chartered forensic psychologist, there was much to learn about TCs and how best these can operate within a secure setting. This learning experience was compounded by the author being responsible for recommending major organisational changes which, as expected, resulted in many personal and professional attacks. The paper describes why the changes were necessary and how staff, in applying successfully TC principles in their work with residents, can fail to adhere to these in their staff-staff relationships. Reasons for this are explored, with the conclusion reached that one of the responsibilities senior TC managers carry is to ensure that staff members are able to process the emotional demands of their work so that their relationships with other members of staff are of a similar professional quality to those developed with residents.

Item Type:	Article
Dates:	Date Event September 2009 Published
Subjects:	CAH04 - psychology > CAH04-01 - psychology > CAH04-01-01 - psychology (non-specific)
Divisions:	Faculty of Business, Law and Social Sciences > College of Law, Social and Criminal Justice
Depositing User:	Yasser Nawaz
Date Deposited:	09 Dec 2016 16:02
Last Modified:	11 Jun 2024 12:50
URI:	https://www.open-access.bcu.ac.uk/id/eprint/2470

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