Working in a therapeutic community: exploring the impact on staff

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact working in a therapeutic community (TC) has on staff practice and personal development. Design/methodology/approach Eight female members of staff who work in the TC participated in semi-structured interviews. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. Thematic analysis was used. Findings The findings of this paper show three superordinate themes: confidence gained within TC; the staff impact of the intensity of TC; and staff value for specific TC principles. Research limitations/implications Limitations include researcher bias as both authors work in the TC and/or in the service. Reasonable adjustments were made in order to account for this. Practical implications Implications for future research include understanding and supporting the needs of staff and further exploration of the impact of staff working within TCs for people diagnosable with emotionally unstable personality disorders. Originality/value The research was carried out at one of the longest running TCs for people with emotional instability in the country. It offers a unique opportunity to garner the views of staff members with up to 27 years of experience. Findings may be of value to practitioners, administrators, policy makers and researchers interested in therapeutic communities.