Dr Rex Haigh and Nick Benefield, formerly leads in the NHS England National Personality Disorder Programme, founded the Relational Practice Movement (RPM) in the wake of the pandemic, describing how “the managerial performance framework public services have pursued [has led to] dehumanisation, commodification and the loss of human dignity and agency” on the part of both staff and service users. In contrast, the RPM “offers a new vision prioritising relationships over procedure.”
Cygnet’s Group Clinical Director Dr Jon Van Niekerk agrees that relational practice (RP) is the foundation of any successful psychiatric or mental health treatment. Jon said:
“Relational practice isn’t an optional extra in mental health care, it is the work. Every meaningful clinical improvement we see begins with human connection: creating safety, nurturing trust, and ensuring people feel seen, heard and valued.
“I am incredibly proud that Cygnet is contributing to this national movement. Our teams demonstrate every day that when relationships lead, outcomes follow, for service users, for families, and for staff. Ben’s leadership role is both a reflection of that commitment and a signal of the impact we can have when we champion compassion, authenticity and co-production at the heart of care.”
Cygnet Health Care is an affiliate organisation to the Relational Practice Movement. Ben’s role on its steering committee will be leading on the development of the movement (other chairs leading for example on research, accreditation, training and national policy).
Ben said: “I’m delighted to have been asked to co-chair the RPM workstream around development. The immediate priority in establishing Relational Practice as key to decent provision in healthcare and across the public sector is to address a question of identity – ‘What is relational practice, what does it look like on the ground?’ I want to showcase examples of RP that highlight its importance as the bedrock of any successful clinical intervention. This also gives us a platform to raise the profile of Cygnet’s service excellence.”
Ben will shortly be inviting expressions of interest from teams keen to help develop a portfolio of case studies in RP excellence in the form of podcasts and video shorts.
He added: “A pilot video featuring some work done by the team at Cygnet St Teilo House is already being planned – it’s a lovely story of a team turning round the life of someone who had lost years to a psychiatric career, while agencies working with her lost hope things could improve. Our staff were able to engage with her in the face of significant challenges, transforming her relationship with the world solely by dint of their own humanity and interpersonal skills – like being kind, optimistic, boundaried, compassionate and authentic.”
Ben is a psychiatric nurse and psychotherapist by training. He has worked in Cygnet’s commercial team since 2011, helping our High Support Rehabilitation services thrive by relationship-building with NHS Commissioning colleagues while influencing service design and delivery.