Spring Newsletter
April 2014
Issue No: 15001
Dear Members,
Welcome to the Spring Edition of the Community of
Communities newsletter, and the end of the 2013-2014
review cycle. As well as welcoming our new chair of the
advisory group and notifying you about our upcoming
events, this edition focuses on the topic of Change with
contributions from four members of the CofC network.
Artwork by Larchfield
In this issue…

Goodbye Steve
Pearce, Hello John
Turberville

Peer-Review Day
Success

Leaving a TC

Uncertainty in a TC

A typical day on a TC

Art Competition

Upcoming Events

Get Involved
Contact Us
Community of Communities
21 Prescot Street
London
E1 8BB
Tel: 020 3701 2677
srashid@ rcpsych.ac.uk
www.communityofcommunities.org
The network has had a busy year, with 75 visits to TC‟s,
including peer-reviews, accreditation visits, support visits
and prison audits. Members have also been involved in an
art competition, and selected pieces can be seen in this
edition. We have held a number of successful member‟s
workshops which have been well attended. All of this would
not have been possible without the commitment of the
members and the support of external advisors and
specialists.
This has been the first year that members have been
working with the new 7th Edition of the Service Standards.
The number of standards had been reduced to a more
manageable number. The peer-review day was also
revised to include a semi-structured interview and an
evidence portfolio review in the timetable. The feedback
we have received has been mainly positive but as always
we are in the process of making changes for the 20142015 cycle based on your feedback to provide you with a
valuable quality improvement network to share and
develop practice. As such, we will be making amendments
to the standards to increase their clarity. We have had an
initial process of consultation with the advisory group and
will be consulting with the rest of the membership soon.
We will also be encouraging all peer-reviewers to attend
training sessions. For accreditation visits in particular we
will be ensuring peer-review teams are made up of trained
reviewers. We will be holding two peer-reviewer training
sessions throughout the cycle which we hope you will
attend (see page 8).
Preparations for the Annual Forum are underway for the 1st
May 2014. Dr Gary Winship will be the key note speaker,
with the focus on „How TCs invented recovery and where it
all went right’. This year‟s forum once again plans to be an
informative and valuable day for all those interested in
Therapeutic Communities and we hope to see you there.
Best wishes,
Community of Communities
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Goodbye Steve Pearce
Steve Pearce has been chair of the Community of Communities advisory group for three years. It is now
time for him to step down and for us to welcome our new chair, John Turberville.
Three years as Chair has gone extremely quickly. When I took up the post I had
three priorities: to encourage „mini-TCs‟ that meet for less than three days each
week to join, to slim down the standards and improve their applicability to TCs in
different fields, and to grow the membership. We now have a membership
structure for mini TCs costing a minimal amount. The new set of standards is in
use and has been enthusiastically received. Membership among children‟s TCs in
particular has grown substantially, possibly in part due to changes in TCTC formed
from the amalgamation of ATC and the Charterhouse Group providing children‟s
services. Things still to do? The peer review booklet is still long and can be
arduous, particularly in this time of cutbacks and „efficiency savings‟. The
accreditation process is even more labour and time intensive, and I would have
liked to be able to make this more user friendly. The process is undoubtedly
rigorous, which is a great advantage, and care will be needed to make sure this is
not lost as it becomes more streamlined. I look forward to continued growth and
success for CofC under my successor John Turberville.
Hello John Turberville
1. What Community are you from?
I work at the Mulberry Bush School, a residential special school and Therapeutic
Community.
2. What TC experience do you have?
I have been the Director here for about 6 years, but worked at the Mulberry Bush for
about 20. I also have been an active Therapeutic Community Specialist, mainly in
audit teams of the prison TC's, for the last three audit cycles.
3. What value do you think CofC provides its members?
I think the value is on many levels. At a basic level, the standards provide
opportunities for members to look at themselves in relation to agreed TC areas and
develop their practice and alignment with TC values and ways of working. Really
engaging with the peer review process brings wide ranging benefits through sharing
best practice, developing new ways of working and feeling less isolated through
becoming a part of a broader community of communities. Accreditation and audit has
brought a new level of rigor to membership and the process is in some ways
a challenge to the traditional 'TC' way thinking.
4. What are you hoping to bring to CofC as chair of the advisory group?
I think Steve Pearce has done a great job and he'll be a hard act to follow! I think
that we need to do more in developing how we speak to others. I also think we need
to embrace the developments to the TC model that so many of our members are
actively engaged in. We need to further develop the added value of membership for
members over and above the standards and peer review. The expertise among our
members is vast and it would be good to find more ways of sharing this through a
training network.
5. To get a sense of your character the last question is: if you were a
biscuit what biscuit would you be and why?
A rocky road! I'm not sure I like the implication of the name, but I think the chocolate
provides a good container and binding agent that integrates a variety of different
ingredients, some soft and delicate, some chewy, some a little tough, brittle and
crunchy, but when chewed over together they blend well and are very satisfying!
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Peer-review day success
Christ Church Deal (CCD) explain how they enjoyed and valued their peer-review day and share the
growth it has led to for their community. Here is what they had to say:
“This year, we found both the preparation for our Peer Review and the actual day so significant and
enjoyable we dedicated one of our church services to allowing people to share their experiences.
Some of the comments included, “Wow! I am part of an amazing community and a community that
will go…„maybe we need to change?‟ But also a community that has an amazing history…this is
something I want to continue to be a part of”. We found it so life changing we decided to have some
form of our own 'review' a few weeks later. This proved so popular we now have a meeting every 3
weeks for a couple of hours and have since affectionately called them Moving Forward Together
(MFT).
From CCD's birth 14 years ago, one of the ways we use to introduce ourselves and our community is
by us sharing our story in other words, how our lives have changed as a result of our journey of
healing. This year at our Peer Review we decided to include this element within our programme. As
there were around 20 people present (about half of our current membership, as most people work)
this obviously resulted in an extended introduction slot. This was more successful than we
anticipated, as not only were the Peer Review Team struck by the reality of what people shared but
we also found it remarkable.
One of the changes to the Peer Review process by the CofC was the introduction of documentation.
To meet this challenge we artistically created a whole series of portfolios about our community.
Some of these described our history and our culture; others included, our testimonies as well as,
songs and poems all written by us. In developing these, we discovered some of what we had lost
over the years, so we have been re-introducing key ideas little by little, via email and by discussing
them in our MFT meeting.
Another one of the suggestions by the CofC this year was to provide some feedback from our service
users, which for us, is all of the community. We designed our own questionnaire, which produced
some interesting responses. These have usefully highlighted where some of our gaps are, what
some of us find difficult and what some of us would like changed. We have been looking at these in
great detail during our MFT meetings and have developed several new initiatives such as, a Back to
Basics group where we can re-learn the principles of our unique therapeutic journey.
All in all, a Peer Review to remember!”
ChirstChurch Deal
Artwork by ChristChurch Deal
3
Leaving a TC
Tina Fullerton and Scott Grady are both leaving the staff team at HMP Send. They have each provided a
reflection of their experience.
Watching Leopards Change Their Spots
“As I plan to leave the Therapeutic Community I have
worked on for the past 9 years, I find myself reflecting
on that time as I, like the residents themselves „work
through my ending‟.
It has been such a unique
experience bringing both rewards and challenges in
equal measure but I know I will always look back on
my time here with pride and personal satisfaction.
When I first started on the TC, I was a complete
novice both to the prison service and to psychotherapy. Boy was I in for a steep learning curve!
Everyone around me was speaking a language that I
did not speak. But I was open minded and keen to
learn. And learn I did! With the support of the most
amazing staff, I began to learn about the principles of
psycho-therapy and before my very eyes, I actually
witnessed people change! Some people believe people
cannot change, that „we are who we are‟, that
„leopards cannot change their spots‟. Yet here I was
seeing women change on a daily basis. I saw deeply
damaged women start to heal. I witnessed angry
women learn to be calm, suicidal women leave the TC
with hope and a zest for life and anti-social women
learn to trust. Before my very eyes, I was seeing the
evidence that people can and were changing for the
better. It gave me confidence that people coming into
prison, really can leave as better people. The prospect
of being able to prevent future crime through changing
people made my job feel worthwhile. Working on the
TC, I found being actively involved in creating an
environment that enabled these changes, became a
priceless experience.
One thing that I didn‟t see coming when I started this
job, was that I would actually start to change myself.
But I came to realise that it‟s pretty impossible to work
in a psycho-therapy group on a regular basis without
examining yourself. I began to question my own
values and even my own character. Over time I
realised that I had come to the TC with a whole load of
defences of my own. Defences that I began to see,
served me no purpose other than to keep people at a
distance. So I began to let the walls down and let
people in. As a consequence I feel I will leave the TC a
better person. A better friend, a better colleague, a
better family member and someone who has truly
come to know the value of team work. I know I‟ve
given a lot to the TC over the years but I also know
that I‟ve received far more in the way of personal
benefits, experiences and friendships made. So
goodbye and good luck and thank you, because I am
one of those leopards who changed her spots.”
Tina Fullerton, HMP Send
Pictured: Tina Fullerton and Vicky Gavin HMP Send
Poem
Leaving a TC
I come with no wrapping or pretty pink bows
I am who I am from my head to my toe‟s
I tend to get loud when speaking my mind
Even a little crazy some of the time
I will never be the best, but don‟t care to be
You can be you and I can be me
I try to stay strong when pain knocks me
down
And the time that I cry is when no ones
around
The error is human or so that they say
Well tell me who‟s perfect any damn way
I will soon be moving away, from the TC
And although it will be hard,
I will still be me
You may see me struggle
But you won‟t see me fall
Regardless if I‟m weak or not,
I‟m going to stand tall
Everyone says life is easy
But truly living is not
Times get hard, people struggle
And constantly get put on the spot
And even though it‟s hard and I may struggle
through it all
You may see me struggle but you will never
see me fall,
Try to remember the last lines
I will leave
They may not rhyme, but they helped me see.
Nothing is as strong as gentleness
Nothing is as gentle as real strength
Scott Grady, HMP Send
4
Uncertainty in a TC
HMP Warren Hill (previously known as HMP Blundeston) have gone through a lot of changes to their TC.
Phoenix from the flame
When staff were called to a meeting in the visits room at HMP Blundeston in early September 2013 little
did anyone know that everything was about to change for everyone and everything involved with the TC
at HMP Blundeston. Later that same day came the bombshell that Blundeston prison was to close.
In October it was announced that the TC would also not be continuing, this news prompted considerable
grief in the staff team. However before the residents were informed, it was decided that there had been
a change and that the TC would be continuing, but at a different location which was still to be decided.
The community really pulled together as all community members addressed the uncertainties that were
being faced. By mid November the community had found out that it would be moving to HMP Warren
Hill, formerly a Young Offender Institution but due to be re-rolled as an adult Cat C prison. Although this
was a huge relief, uncertainty remained as HMP Warren Hill still housed Young Offenders and wasn‟t due
to be emptied until early the following year. A temporary solution was found when HMP Norwich agreed
to house the Community on their enhanced wing.
Interviews were held for the roles of officer facilitators and although only two members of uniformed
staff from the Blundeston TC applied there was a lot of interest from staff at Warren Hill who wanted to
be part of helping the rehabilitation process rather than just „locking up‟. This meant that a large part of
the staff element of the community was disbanded. When we finally moved, the TC was the last unit at
HMP Blundeston to clear and when the last bus left, the prison Governor himself saw us off!
In January, small groups, large groups and Psychodrama restarted at HMP Norwich. As an added bonus
the new officer facilitators from Warren Hill came to Norwich on detached duty and joined the two officer
facilitators, two specialist staff and therapy manager moving from Blundeston in staffing the wing. They
all seemed very keen to get to know the residents and what would be required of them in their new role.
Although an anxious time there was a lot of excitement as the new members of the community started
to get to know the old.
Now HMP Warren Hill is about to start life as a fully functioning „adult‟ prison and things seemed to have
moved on again for the TC. The new staff appear to be every bit as motivated as the „old‟ staff and have
started their training and regularly going into groups and community meetings. The TC has been able to
actively start recruiting new residents and is now part of a prison which not only tolerates having a TC
but has actively gone out and asked for it. I don‟t think any of us have worked out just yet what our TC
is called, but it seems to be a real phoenix from the flames, which would not have been possible without
residents, staff and managers having a real will to see the work here continue.
Written by Alan Howe, HMP Warren Hill
Poem
Interview
Art
Would you like to contribute to the next edition of the
newsletter?
Community of Communities invite members to contribute to the
development of the newsletter. This is a perfect opportunity to be
part of a wider Community of Communities, and put forward ideas
and articles which are shared with all our members and published on
our website. Contributions can range from articles, book reviews,
artwork, poems, recipes.
If you would like to register an interest in being involved in
the next newsletter or have an idea for an article, please
email your details to:
[email protected]
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A typical day on a TC
Community of Communities is a network of different TCs. Below are extracts from two of our different
member TCs that demonstrates their experience of a typical day on a TC.
HMP Gartree TC
A day on the TC.
"Therapy? That‟s for weak and insecure
people!"
I beg to differ: in my three years of
participation I have seen some of the bravest
and most humbling sights of my adult life.
Men who come to terms with the harm they
have done, the tears our families have shed.
Art Competition: Dawn Evans
The individuals within the TC get up every
morning willing to look at all aspects of
themselves and to help their peers see their
own shortcomings, challenges and
achievements.
Christ Church Deal (CCD)
With the focus on promoting positive change,
this therapeutic faith community is unique - as
it is also a church. One of its‟ founding
members, Dr Peter Holmes describes it as “a
community built on the solidarity of the
shaken.” Most members have experienced
mental health difficulties so the emphasis is on
creating a safe place. The community is not
divided into staff and service users - support is
mutual. Members are encouraged to take
personal responsibility, to be real about their
feelings, engaging and releasing toxic emotion.
What has been remarkable is the more pain
members let go of from their pasts, the more
healing they find.
Some, for the first time feel supported, part of
a bigger picture and experiencing the benefits
of asking for help and returning the favour later
on.
The TC could be viewed as a journey; I most
definitely experienced my share of choppy
waters, cancellations and missed destinations
but now three years later I have arrived where
I need to be.
My family and peers keep mentioning the
changes within myself. I feel embarrassed and
a little uncomfortable sometimes.
Can I sum up the TC in a day?
Nope, I cannot! TC means day after day facing
up to myself and the life that's lead me here.
Every day is different. During the week a
variety of support networks are in place to help
members on the „journey‟ including, mentors,
social groups and gender exclusive therapeutic
groups. The main port of call is the
community‟s office, which deals with the
administrative side. This can involve arranging
accommodation for visitors or newcomers, or
dealing with a crisis. Another day may be spent
passing on requests for practical help, e.g.
house moves, shopping, lifts, providing meals,
or other kinds of requests for those going
through a difficult time. Quieter days may see
the office become the hub for a social gathering
where members can pop in for a cuppa and
catch up. With no two days the same, writing
an essay on the back of a stamp would have
been less challenging than describing a typical
day at CCD!
Do I always like the face in the mirror? Most
definitely not but I can now live with myself
and I am proud of the changes I was able to
make with the help of everyone on the TC.
Don't take on a day on the TC lightly but apply
yourself to the process and actual tangible
changes can be made.
My family and I owe a debt to the TC we will
never be able to repay….but that is also part of
a day on the TC.
Written by a member from CCD
Written by Peter Wallner, resident
6
Art Competition
Community of Communities ran a successful member competition for artwork that can be used on the
Community of Communities documents, including reports, flyers and the newsletter! We are hoping to
run another one this summer with further details to follow. Be sure to get involved!
Below are some of the impressive entries we received:
G
French Revolution Chess Set
Alba, Rosa Dei Venti
Greeting Card, Unmesh, ASV
Helping Hands on your journey, Oracle
Care
Ellie‟s Music, By Dawn Evans, The Acorn
Programme
Ellie‟s Music, By Dawn Evans, The Acorn
Programme
Weathering the Storm Together by The
Brenchley Unit
Eve 3
The Nightmare By Philip Evans
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Upcoming Events
The Community of Communities
Annual Forum 2014
Thursday 1st May
Therapeutic Communities: Isn’t it obvious?
Key Note Speaker: Dr Gary Winship - Recovering
Recovery- How TCs invented Recovery, and where it
all went right
Day to include:

A range of workshops on a variety of topics including; establishing new
TCs, TCs as an effective treatment and reflections of the CofC process

Presentation of key findings from the review year

Lively Debate: “There is no evidence Therapeutic Communities are
effective.”
Lead Reviewer Training
Members Workshops
2014-2015
29th May 2014
Community of Communities are
committed
to
running
three
workshop sessions for members to
attend
Peer-Reviewer Training
4th June 2014 - Putting the CofC standards at
the heart of quality assurance
19th June & 26th September
2014
10th September 2014 -Effective leadership for
TCs
5th December 2014 -An Introduction to Group
work
The training provides a theoretical and practical
understanding of peer review, and the knowledge
and tools required to undertake the roles.
More details can be found on our website.
Free to members. You can apply online.
Free to members
Location: CofC, 21 Prescot St, London, E1 8BB
Location: CofC, 21 Prescot St, London, E1 8BB
8