Parallel pathways, prizes and professional development.
- CHT Comms Team
- Sep 12
- 2 min read
Updated: Oct 29
This week, CHT staff members attended the annual TCTC conference in Hertfordshire, which provided a fantastic opportunity for practitioners working within the Therapeutic Communities field and related sectors to connect and share thoughts, ideas, and examples of good practice.
The conference kicked off with a day on Children and Young People, with organisations including The Mulberry Bush, Birribi and Hearts and Heads sharing their insights and experiences in creating supportive environments for young people.
On the second day, the theme was the role of Therapeutic Communities in the justice sector. Discussions on topics including Psychologically Informed Planned Environments (PIPEs) and Enabling Environments, led by organisations including Nottingham Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, HMP Gartree and other organisations working within the justice sector.
The final day focused on Adult Mental Health. Presentations featured Essex University, the team at Cassel Hospital, and insights into developing a bicultural Therapeutic Community in Wellington, Aotearoa, New Zealand.
On day three, Qayanat Shaikh, CHT Therapeutic Practitioner, gave a candid presentation titled 'Parallel Pathways", which explored the parallel journeys that are ever so present in each community for every member of staff and resident alike - journeys of self-discovery.
For Qayanat, this was self-discovery and development of her as a Therapeutic Practitioner and what to do when experiencing vicarious trauma. Qayanat's journey was not a lonely one (although at times it might have felt like that); she took it alongside staff and residents. The voices of residents were shared throughout Qayant's presentation, through quotes about their thoughts and reflections on their own journeys.
Feedback included;
"Qayanat's presentation was highly emotive and engaging. Thank you, Qayanat, and Residents of Lilias Gillies House"
Another inspiring presentation was by the 2025 Elly Jansen Award Winner, Marilyn Ruttley, a senior caseworker with expertise in attachment, trauma, and therapeutic communities, and is also an Expert by Experience speaker.
Marilyn presented the findings from her article "I had skills to offer; I wasn't just a patient", which through personal experiences, interviews, and focus group discussions with four former patients of a therapeutic community, found that involving people with lived experience in research can improve confidence and skill development and act as both an educational and psychosocial intervention alongside traditional therapeutic approaches.
Dr Peter Cockersell, CHT CEO, proudly presented Marilyn with her prize and announced the deadline for next year's The Elly Jansen Award, which will be on Sunday, 3rd May 2026 (watch this space for more details!)
Our Head of Development, Iwona Munia, summarised the event beautifully, saying:
"The TCTC conference was a very enriching, very thought-provoking event. I found it so valuable to hear about other organisations' models and frameworks of practice. There were also lots of brilliant opportunities to get involved in experiential learning through workshops. The evening's entertainment was brilliant too, with live music, sharing of poems and an Alice in Wonderland themed quiz! We cannot wait for next year".
