Aims of the current study The aims of the study were to: Explore both service user and members’ perceptions of TC principles as outlined by Haigh (2013) and identify whether these are present in the environment of the LDTC within a high secure hospital. Identify whether any further important principles within the social climate of the LDTC that are not captured by current TC theory. Method Design A single case study design was employed, with the being defined as ‘case’ the LDTC based at one of three high secure hospitals in the U.K. housing the high secure male learning disability population. A qualitative approach was employed within the case study to enable analysis of TC members’ experience and perceptions of therapeutic principles in addition to identification of shared experiences. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews. Questions were adapted for service users to ensure language remained accessible. The semi-structured interview started with some specific questions about Haigh’s five quintessence principles to facilitate a discussion on areas detailed in existing theory. TC principles are notoriously difficult to capture as they refer to pre-verbal experiences associated with emotionally lived experience (R. Haigh, personal communication, 2015). Interview questions were therefore refined via discussions with clinicians who had previously worked or resided in TCs and were consequently familiar with the philosophy and experiences within such establishments.
Aims of the current study The aims of the study were to: Explore both service user and members’ perceptions of TC principles as outlined by Haigh (2013) and identify whether these are present in the environment of the LDTC within a high secure hospital. Identify whether any further important principles within the social climate of the LDTC that are not captured by current TC theory. Method Design A single case study design was employed, with the ‘case’ being defined as the LDTC based at one of three high secure hospitals in the U.K. housing the high secure male learning disability population. A qualitative approach was employed within the case study to enable analysis of TC members’ experience and perceptions of therapeutic principles in addition to identification of shared experiences. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews. Questions were adapted for service users to ensure language remained accessible. The semi-structured interview started with some specific questions about Haigh’s five quintessence principles to facilitate a discussion on areas detailed in existing theory. TC principles are notoriously difficult to capture as they refer to pre-verbal experiences associated with emotionally lived experience (R. Haigh, personal communication, 2015). Interview questions were therefore refined via discussions with clinicians who had previously worked or resided in TCs and were consequently familiar with the philosophy and experiences within such establishments.
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