This recipe book' for setting up a successful NHS service is based on the author's experience of implementing a new service in an incredibly complex public organisation: Henderson Hospital, a democratic Therapeutic Community (TC) which set up a replica' TC service for three separate NHS Trusts. Kingsley Norton takes us step-by-step through the entire process, from ideological statements and evidence-based research to creating a development plan and delivering services to the community. Having established a Henderson Development Team' and a separate steering group, and having worked with three separate Trusts, Henderson staff and service users, Norton stresses the need for clear management structures and the importance of the consistent involvement and participation of managers. Looking at how separate Trusts can work effectively together, the importance of written agreements, and how service users can be invaluable in the implementation process, the author shows how the translation of an idea into a fully functioning service provider is far more complex than just adding water'. The author's wealth of hands-on experience and practical advice makes this book essential reading for anyone with an interest in management, the NHS and public services, but also for those wanting to know more about Therapeutic Communities and how they operate as institutions.
