The Ruby Centre
Community Interest Company
A Community Interest Company (C.I.C) is a non-profit making company with aims and objectives that benefit the community in which it works and serves. It is 'asset-locked' - meaning that any surpluses it may accrue in it's operations are 'locked' to be used only towards the furtherance of it's aims & objectives. It is our aim to subsidise the cost of therapy for those individuals who cannot afford private therapy.
We will be taking forward the work begun by The Ruby Centre Project, a charity which funded subsidised therapy here at the Ruby Centre from when we began our work, Sept 2003, until the charity disbanded in August 2007. We have identical aims and objectives; we trust that the new corporate structure will prove more flexible and more compatible with our fundraising aspirations.
OBJECTIVE 1 – PSYCHOLOGICAL THERAPIES
OBJECTIVE 2 – HEALTH PROMOTION
OBJECTIVE 3 – INTEGRATED WORKING & CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
• A service is needed that can provide access for all levels of emotional and psychological difficulty.
• This must be at an affordable cost as adverse social and economic factors impact on mental health, e.g. increased levels of mental health problems in unemployment or in those with a history of abuse or domestic violence, etc
• There is no provision locally for psychological services in the gap between counselling at primary care and the severe and enduring mental health provision of secondary services. We aim to provide a fully dimensional service aimed at all levels of psychological and emotional distress, thus moving towards filling this perceived gap.
• Statistics show that 1 in 4 people of working age have a mental health problem.
• Working within statutory services has given insight and colloquial evidence of the difficulty in accessing therapeutic services of a professional standard.
• Research shows that mental health difficulties continue to be stigmatising within conventional settings.
• Recent doctoral research on the experiences of abused women within statutory services indicates the need to create an empowering, therapeutic environment due to the potential for iatrogenic issues.
• There is a need to prioritise holistic well being in terms of mind-body problems, especially in the area of pain management, emotional, sexual and physical abuse and acute stress and anxiety.
• There are individuals suffering emotional, psychological and social difficulties without access to affordable professional therapeutic services.
• Lack of affordable services for the individual has long-term impact on the family, workplace and community creating a cycle of difficulties.
• Provision of multi-disciplinary workers would allow clients to access complementary knowledge and skills.
• Associate therapists have experience of working in minority areas including cross-culturally and with refugees. This can often be a skills deficient area.
• Associate therapists have experience of working with young adults with strong suicidal ideation highlighted as a target for change within the Department of Health’s (1999) National Service Framework for Mental Health.
• Providing time efficient management will maximise resources and therapeutic time for both the therapist and client.
