Runecraft
UK was an self-development and life-skill training project
which I initiated with my husband in 1992 and was my first
venture serious venture as an entrepreneur.
In
some ways it could be said that the setting-up of Runecraft-UK
was an alternative response to the recession of the late
80's early 90's... As a practitioner of self-development
and the runes for some years (on a personal level) the recession
seemed like the perfect time to test some basic philosophical,
spiritual and economic theories... at this time it was evident
there was a need in the community. As many will remember
it was during the late 80's and early 1990's that the bulk
of residential mental health care facilities were closed
as part of a cost cutting and ideological agenda instigated
by the Thatcher Government; which insisted that care should
be provided in the community.
While
I certainly didn't and don't believe that mass institutionalisation
of people with difficulties is right, there was at the time,
little to no infrastructure in place for the delivery of 'Care
in the Community'. The consequence of this was having a dual
impact in my local community. The well population felt threatened
by the sudden rise in people with complex difficulties suddenly
appearing in the community and these people themselves didn't
have the basic coping skills to be able to take care of themselves
and were vulnerable to being exploited, abused and neglected.
It was a 'no-win' situation for all.
I felt that I could not 'cross to the other side of the road'
and believed (I still do) that I had a moral obligation and
responsibility as a human-being to help and make a positive
difference when I can and where I can, and so after discussing
my thoughts and feelings with my husband and my children it
was decided that we would set up a mentoring / training centre
in our home.
Runecraft
provided:
Life / situation mapping services through the casting of Runes
to unlock that which is hidden in a person's subconscious
and primal mind, from which an individualised training program
was devised ~ All programs included aspects of:
-
Practical life-skills training
- Mentoring
- Cognitive
and behavioural therapy
- Advocacy
services
- Literacy
and Numeracy training.
Over
the course of the 12-years during which this project ran,
we were funding in the main by voluntary contributions in
cash or kind by our clients, their families and some limited
funding from the NHS, through External Contract Referral (ECR).
What
was most alarming at the time of initiating this enterprise
was that the bulk of our clients had fallen through the Statutory
Care Network - the majority didn't have social workers or
occupational therapists, none of them received any counselling,
and approximately 70% of our client cohort were not being
monitored by psychiatrists. So a big part of our work for
our clients was to re-integrate them into the fledgling care
system - this was accomplished by acting as their advocates.
Over
time RuneCraft UK developed an excellent reputation for providing
individualised front line care. A small number of consultant
psychiatrists whom worked out of three of London's major teaching
hospitals agreed to share the care of some of their clients
with us. I attended Community Psychiatric Assessment (CPA)
meetings with our client and produced monthly progress reports
for the clients psychiatric teams. This resulted in me being
given primary responsibility for the care and well-being of
a limited number of individuals, and being named as such on
the official CPA reports. I monitored two clinical studies
and reported directly to the Professor of Psychiatry responsible
for the research, on a weekly basis over an 18-month period.
During
the development of this enterprise I was very tempted to study
Forensic Psychiatry and Developmental Psychology, however
as life would have it, it was not my time to return to formal
studies; and satisfied my need to know and understand by reading
every text-book available within this field as part of my
professional career development.
From
these early activities, RuneCraft UK grew organically and
by word of mouth throughout the area in which I lived. The
client based expanded to include individuals from all walks
of life, whom were experiencing a crisis of one sort or another.
RuneCraft-UK
became a global concerning in 1996, and expanded into premises
in Camden Lock, then expanded again in 2000 and moved to premises
in Camden Stables Market. While Runecraft UK no longer exists
as an enterprise venture - it was wound-up in 2004, I continue
to provide advocacy, self-development training and life-skills
mentoring support to a hand-full of clients with difficulties.
I continue to attend CPA's for this group of clients whom
in spite of the fact that I have relocated from London continue
to see me for counselling and training on a fortnightly basis.
During
the Camden years ~ the client base expanded to include business
professionals at all levels and across many industry sectors
from across the UK and the world. I continue to consult for
a small number of national and international business clients,
when they find themselves or their businesses at cross-roads
on an ah-hoc basis.
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