Statement of purpose

(Health and Social Care Act 2008)

Contents

Apricot Centre CIC, legal status, address and other contact details        2

Introduction to Apricot Centre CIC - Wellbeing Service and Biodynamic Farm - The organisation and its ethos        3

Statement of Purpose for the Apricot Centre Wellbeing Service for Children and Families        3

Aims and Objectives of the Apricot Centre Wellbeing Service for Children and Families        4

Organisational Structure and Management        5

Responsible Person        6

Registered Manager        7

Our full list of policies, procedures & trainings        7

Governance, Supervision and Training        8

Description of the Location        9

Directors Information        9

Apricot Centre CIC, legal status, address and other contact details

Introduction to Apricot Centre CIC - Wellbeing Service and Biodynamic Farm - The organisation and its ethos

Operating Name: Apricot Centre CIC

Service Name: Apricot Centre Wellbeing Service

Core Purpose: ‘To cultivate sustainability in lives, livelihoods and land’

The Apricot Centre CIC began in 2010 on an organic farm in Essex with the aim of bringing together therapeutic work with young people with a Biodynamic/Organic farm. The Apricot Centre CIC now also provides an educational offering centred around the principles of permaculture and regenerative farming which is registered with Ofsted.We are a not-for-profit social enterprise /Community Interest Company formed in July 2010. In 2017 the farm base and administrative base were relocated to Huxhams Cross Farm in Devon. This is the only administrative base for the organisation from which we also continue to manage services for children, families and communities of East Anglia, Devon, and London.

The ethos of the Apricot Centre is very much aligned with the Permaculture ethics of

‘earth care’, ‘people care’ and ‘fair share’, which are also found in most traditional cultures which live in relative balance with their environment. In addition to these ethics is an important principle from Process Oriented Psychology of being guided by feedback and nature. Inherent in this attitude is that both farm and human systems have evolving processes and natures which can be facilitated and responded to in the work we do ‘to cultivate sustainability in lives, livelihoods and the land’.

Statement of Purpose for the Apricot Centre Wellbeing Service for Children and Families

The core purpose of the Apricot Centre is ‘to cultivate sustainability in land, lives and livelihoods’. The Apricot Centre Wellbeing Service approaches this through facilitating and supporting children, families and communities towards increased wellbeing. What brings a sense of wellbeing encompasses a diverse range of experience such as; finding greater meaning/sense of purpose, a sense of belonging or identity, good relationships, self-esteem and confidence, enjoyment of and ability to learn, ability to deal with stress or conflict, feeling a part of family or community, making a contribution, having a job, healing or dealing with the impact of adverse life experiences such as; abuse, neglect or trauma, a sense of enjoyment playfulness or creativity, knowing your abilities, experience of love or compassion towards self and others, a connection with nature, etc.. We use various methods to measure wellbeing within the service, however we honour the most fundamental sense of wellbeing as being guided by positive feedback in which an individual or family feels congruent with their nature.

The Apricot Centre Wellbeing Service provides professional therapeutic and mentoring services for children and families in ‘non-clinical’ therapeutic environments.  We are a holistic service in that we believe that sustainability and wellbeing are most likely when individuals feel supported and engaged within their families and communities. For this reason we work at many levels with individuals, relationships and systems.

The Wellbeing Service is rooted within a farm and nature base. It is our intention where possible to enhance our work with children, families and communities through positive experiences in nature. The Apricot Centre at Huxhams Cross Farm is a productive biodynamic farm producing high quality food for the local community. The approximately 200 acre site provides a variety of nature environments whereby we can connect young people with nature and food. As a predominantly rural based service additional sites and venues are hired in the counties within which we work. The interface of wellbeing and farm/nature is a unique aspect of our overall approach to sustainability, wherein we value and acknowledge the wide ranging benefits of a positive human relationship with nature.

Aims and Objectives of the Apricot Centre Wellbeing Service for Children and Families

• To enhance wellbeing in young people and families with complex needs, through the provision of high quality specialist therapeutic and mentoring services in East Anglia, Devon/Torbay and parts of London.
• To provide an Adoption Support service to Looked-after and Adopted children (LAAC - LAC, SGO,CAO, ICO & Adoption), young people, parents/carers and families. This work is with professionals informed with an understanding of attachment, trauma and child development, as well as system theories.
• To provide high quality initial assessments, multidisciplinary assessments and bespoke therapeutic packages.
• Our ‘Edge of Potential’ approach aims to support young people and families struggling ‘at the edge of care’ or at the ‘edge of accessing mainstream education’. Through working with disturbances at the developmental ‘edges’ of experience we aim to tap into the potential through a mixture of individual, relational and systemic work, as well as mentoring activities and group work.

• To deliver ‘nature-based’ wellbeing work from our nature bases and Social Forestry area, engaging young people in group activities or projects involving participation in nature. This work is usually funded by grants or from schools, private individuals or local authorities.  Projects and groups mainly focus around particular areas of need such as for; children in deprived/ marginalised communities with little access to nature, children with autism, children struggling with attending school, home-schooled children, schools developing a Forest School.
• To help communities build resilience to adversity, to support young people and families with wellbeing and mental health through enhancing the potential within the community and deepening community relationships. This approach will commonly be delivered in collaboration with other partners such as; Plymouth, Norfolk, Suffolk local authorities, and key leaders and members of the local community.

Organisational Structure and Management

The Apricot Centre has developed an efficient lean business model which operates with minimal hierarchy. high quality management and governance across the Wellbeing Service, Education and the Farm. We have 6  Directors, 5 Managers (all based at Huxhams Cross Farm), 2.5 WTE administrator/finance person, 5 WTE farm workers, 3 WTE Education Staff, and 14 therapists and mentors. Our business structure enables us to provide responsive, resilient and flexible services during times of turbulence and change.

Our administrative and leadership processes have been streamlined, and we dedicate important time to practitioner reflection through ‘peer gatherings’ and dedicated 1:1 support. We have designed and built our own SuiteCRM record management system which enables us to be flexible and offer services to rural communities.

Our staff are recruited according to safer recruitment procedures.

Directors:

• Managing Director - Rachel Phillips
• Operational Director - Paul (Bob) Mehew
• Finance Director - Amy Worth
• Quality Assurance and Wellbeing Director - Amir Qureshy
• Non-Executive Directors: Mark O’Connell and Rhodri Samuel

Wellbeing Staff:

• Wellbeing Service Manager/Clinical Lead: Maxine Stevens - Part-time, 3 days/week
• Business Manager - Dana Walker - Full Time
• Administrator - Becky Steed - Part Time
• Therapeutic Practitioners:  14 therapeutic practitioners and mentors including Psychologists, Psychotherapists, Art/Music/Drama Therapists, Counsellors and other registered practitioners.

Education Staff:

• Education Operations Manager - Charlie Nemeth - Full Time
• Curriculum Manager - Jon Perkin- Full Time
• Project Administrator - Jasmine Devoto - Full Time
• Amir Qureshy - Quality Assurance - Part Time (Shared Deputy)
• Guest Tutors and Industry Specialists - See RBLS SOW for up to date lists changes occur year on year.

Farm Staff:

• Biodynamic Farm Manager - Dave Wright - Full-time
• Team Lead - Horticulture - Ross Perret - Full Time                                    
• Jack Wood - Propagation Technician - Pack House Lead  
• Tilda Lopresti - Packer -  Part Time                                    
• Assistant Grower - Josh Westwood - Full Time Assistant
• Grower - Katherine Giles - Part Time
• Livestock person - Sarah Martin - Full Time
• Team Lead Supply - Josh Mottem - Full Time

Responsible Person

The Responsible Individual  is: Amir Qureshy, Director of Quality Assurance Part-Time

Qualifications: Dip Social Work (Plymouth University), Advanced Dip Social Work/Approved Social Worker Mental Health (Portsmouth University), Registered with Social Work England, NHS Aspiring Top Leaders Programme in association with Exeter Business School (University of Exeter).

Amir has over thirty years experience both as a successful senior operations manager, and as a frontline practitioner within the health and social care sector. Amir has worked both in the children and adults sector and in the public and private sector in permanent and locum roles. Amir has always wanted to make a difference and through continual service improvement has led and developed nationally accredited services to be recognised as ‘Outstanding’ by the CQC.

Service Manager

The Service Manager: is Maxine Stevens

Qualifications: Postgraduate Diploma in Core Process Psychotherapy | Level 4 Counselling Diploma | First-Class Honours Degree in Education Studies

Max is a qualified psychotherapist with over 20 years’ experience across therapeutic settings, social services, and education.

Her Personal Statement: For the past five years, I have been in clinical practice, supporting adults and young people, alongside my role as a School Counsellor in a local secondary school. Across both roles, I have had the privilege of supporting individuals experiencing complex emotional, relational, and safeguarding challenges, offering a compassionate and steady space during difficult times. The real privilege lies in witnessing the difference that thoughtful, consistent support can make in someone’s life.  

Registered with the BACP and UKCP, I hold a Postgraduate Diploma in Core Process Psychotherapy and a First-Class Honours degree in Education Studies, alongside extensive post-qualifying training.  

Having faced difficult times in my own life, I developed a strong drive to support others who may struggle to access the help they need. I bring my lived experience into my work with care and integrity, and I am proud to work at The Apricot Centre, whose values closely align with my belief that everyone should be able to access support, regardless of their circumstances.  

My career has been shaped by a deep commitment to widening access to wellbeing support and delivering early, compassionate intervention within community and school-based settings. I have significant safeguarding expertise and training, and extensive experience working collaboratively with schools and multi-agency partners.  

To sustain and support this work, I spend time in my garden and outdoors. I also value the importance of humour — even in the most difficult times, it can be essential to meet all experience in life and work.  

Governance - Our full list of policies, procedures & trainings

Governance oversight is via our ‘Governance Tracker’ which is regularly reviewed at our monthly managers meetings including oversight of our policies and procedures, health and safety, staff training and safer recruitment.

See full list of policies, procedures and training (with review dates). Our latest policies can all be found on the website at apricotcentre.co.uk.

Governance, Management, Training and Research

As a Community Interest Company (Not for Profit Social Enterprise) the work of the Apricot Centre and service delivery is overseen by a board of Directors.

Apricot Centre staff are inducted, supervised and trained according to the level of their responsibilities within the organisation. Therapeutic Practitioners and mentors are recruited according to safer-recruitment practices and their qualifications, registrations, DBS, and professional indemnity insurances are shown to be valid at all times.

The Service Manager, The Responsible Individual, and The Education Manager maintain up to date level 3 (or 4) safeguarding training. All therapeutic practitioners are required to have a level 2 safeguarding training within the last 2 years.

The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) is Maxine Stevens supported by appropriately trained and experienced managers.

All practitioners and mentors are given the opportunity to attend monthly ‘peer team gatherings’, receive regular 1 to 1 case management support, and are required to maintain regular professional clinical supervision relevant to their practice and registration requirements.

Description of the Location

The centre of our administrative support and management, as well as the core therapeutic and mentoring work all take place from Huxhams Cross Farm in Devon. The Apricot Centre venue is on the farm site and specifically designed with good access and spaces for therapeutic work and training, as well as for team / management meetings and supervision. We have recently installed additional therapeutic accommodation in the form of two Mokki’s to support on site work.

Our wider services are coordinated and supported from this core base and involve therapists working in East Anglia and Devon in various hired locations which we vet for suitability according to the service being offered. At The Apricot Centre venue there is good parking available and good wheelchair access. Toilet facilities are designed for disabled access and use. There is a lockable office with lockable filing cabinets for sensitive and confidential materials to run the service.

The surrounding environment is a working biodynamic farm producing high quality food for the local community. Young people are supervised at all times while on site, and the spaces have been carefully designed with young peoples’ safety in mind.

The Devon base is the foundation of all services whether delivered in Devon or East Anglia. Our practitioners are managed and supported from the central team in our physical base in Devon. Much of our work is rural based in these areas and therefore we vet and source appropriate venues to work from on a case by case basis, sometimes working within schools or Children’s Centres.

Directors Information

For each director please provide the information below.