Hexthorpe Manor Community: the end of a Fresh Expression of Church.

From April 1st 2009 to September 30th 2010 I worked at Hexthorpe Manor, Doncaster.  Hexthorpe Manor Community was a Therapeutic Comminity and a Fresh Expression of Church.  There was a lot of good happening but there were also some things that gave cause for concern.  This blog records my thoughts and feelings about the way this ministry declined from my perspective.  In the end I was the last employee and it was only by God's grace that I myself didn't fall victim of stress.

Hexthorpe Manor

In December 2008 I was working as a Development Worker for Doncaster NDC (New Deal for the Communities.)  My contract was about to come to an end so I was on the look out for my next contract.  I saw advertised on the Church Times web site an advert a position for Project Manager Designate.  Hexthorpe Manor was literally at the top of my street.  It was tempting to apply, after all if I was successful than I would have a very short walk to work.

I had a couple of meetings with the Baxter's, Stanley and Elizabeth, a married couple who were both ordained priests in the Church of England.  I got on well with them, even though they were of a different theological outlook to me and the Church that I attend.  They were theological liberal and Stanley in particular seemed playful in the sense that it was his mission to convert evangelical Christians to his theological stance.  Both Stanley and Elizabeth did challenge some of my thinking and practice and from them I did learn something. 

At the time Hexthorpe Manor seemed a little under siege.  The two nearest parish Churches had little to do with the ministry at the Manor House as both churches took a stand against ordained women's ministry.  The local Methodist Church was conservative evangelical and didn't want much to do with the work at the Manor House.  However, a lot of support was given by St Peter's Warmsworth.  At the time they had a women vicar and they provided a number of volunteers and one lady Methodist Lay Preacher did take a hands on role despite her home church not taking an active supporting role. 

It was an exciting time for Hexthorpe Manor.  They had recently sold some of the land that came with the Manor House to have new housing built on it, a new art therapy building was promised and a partnership was entered into with a registered social landlord, Carr-Gomm.  This partnership would enable housing benefit to paid at a higher rate and the work at Hexthorpe looked to be on a firmer financial footing.

So why did the work at Hexthorpe go into decline?

Before I applied to work at Hexthorpe Manor I had been informed and warned about this organisation.  A former manager had worked closely with Doncaster CVS and took the opportunity to inform them of "the conditions" at Hexthorpe Manor.  When he was dismissed the bad stories were believed and gave a slanted view of what Hexthorpe Manor Community was.  Taking all things into account I chose to apply to Hexthorpe Manor Community for employment.

I was taken on not as the Project Manager Designate but as Administrator. but only for 24 hours a week.  Stanley called me into a meeting to explain their change of thinking.  They were to appoint another person as Manager.  Ms Beth Wood had recently sent a speculative application and could live in.  This seemed to be a good arrangement.  After I had started I was told that I would also be Support Worker.  Depending on who I would be talking to I would either be the Administrator/Support Worker or Support Worker/Administrator.  With only 24 hours a week there was not enough time to do justice to both sides of the job.

Part of my duties was to keep an eye on who paid what but I was not given access to the banking arrangement which made it impossible to check on payments of any kind.  This aspect of my duties had not been thought out adequately.  I suspect that my post had been created without a job needs analysis and different people expected different things. 

The community was growing and within months the residents increased from two residents to five.  Under Beth's leadership a regular structure was introduced and a sense of community was being established.  However, problems with the partnership with Carr-Gomm  started to show.  Hexthorpe Manor tried to be a lot of things.  It was a Fresh Expression of Church, it was also a Therapeutic Community which worked as part of a project of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.  Resident members were part of the community to get well, to function better within society after going through stress or personal trauma.  The major focus was to heal those who were members.  This conflicted with what Carr-Gomm felt that the major focus should have been - that of obtaining more residents and not running with any voids.  Tensions between being a community of healing and filling the house to maximise income quickly arose.

The Sign

       

A number of things were becoming clear.

1. It was expensive to run the ministry at Hexthorpe Manor
2. More staff was needed
3. Potential residents were unsure about committing themselves to Hexthorpe Manor because of the cost.

Part of my role was to fund raise.  This was made difficult because Hexthorpe Manor had just become a charity and company in its own right.  It had previously been run from Holy Rood House in Thirsk as part of that charity.  In order to apply for funds an organisation had to be in operation for a whole year.  As the application process had just been made we had to wait until charity status had been granted by the Charity Commission and then wait for a year before we could apply for many grants that were available.  We could have applied to some funds but ONLY for new work that would benefit the local community of Hexthorpe Doncaster, not the community of Hexthorpe Manor Community.  I was given the impression in my first meetings with the Baxter's that the Church Urban Fund had been approached and that funding was about to be awarded.  I later discovered that no money from the Church Urban Fund was to be available.  The majority of the Church Urban Funding had been allocated and therefore not available.

The relationship between Hexthorpe Manor Community and Carr-Gomm caused some conflict and confusion.  They managed the tenancies and informed residents that the Code of Conduct that they had to sign was not legally enforceable and tried to get house rules agreed.  From my view point Carr-Gomm did not understand the mission of Hexthorpe.  The view expressed to me was that if Hexthorpe Manor was not "religious" then it would attract rersidents more easily.  The conflict between the partners manifested itself with some residents ignoring the code of conduct which caused a little friction between them and the management.

In August 2009 a Deputy Manager was advertised for.  However, this coincided with the decision of Beth Wood to move on.  Alan Llewellyn was appointed and he ands his wife moved into the Manor House in October 2009.

The tension with Carr-Gomm continued which was added to by tensions caused by some of the residents as they reacted to the change of management.  More potential residents came but chose not to join.  This added to the pressures on the finances and Carr-Gomm took the decision to withdraw from Hexthorpe Manor as it was costing them too much.  This meant that Hexthorpe Manor would not be able to claim Housing Benefit for residents at the same rate that Carr-Gomm could.  Alan Llewellyn came up with a proposal that enabled Carr-Gomm to recoup some money.  They would act as agents and collect housing benefit on Hexthorpe Manor Communities behalf.  They charged for this service but it would only be a short term arrangement. 

The wall

Difficult times followed.  Some residents moved on and it was right for them to do so.  Some residents wanted to stay  but it was made clear to them by the directors that Hexthorpe Manor was not he place for them.  The project was running out of money and my hours were reduced to 12 per week. 

One of my first duties was to draw up a budget for the first year.  Part of that budget included a large amount from the sale of land and would come in the form of a grant from Holy Rood.  It became clear that this money was not going to be made available.  I had been preparing a bid for a grant from a religious grant making trust.  I had to put it on hold until Hexthorpe Manor Community had been in existence as a charity in its own right for a year.  Unfortunately the criteria for this trust had been changed in such way that made it impossible for Hexthorpe Manor Community to be successful.  There was one trust that I could apply to but that would take time and internal changes would have to be made.  Sadly, at this point we were running out of time but at that point I did not know it.  One resident was given time at Holy Rood House for respite.  There were plans to close Hexthorpe Manor for redecoration and reopen.

One resident made their feelings about the situation known and wrote letters of compalint to various people.  Another resident informed me that they had been told by an employee of Holy Rood House that the reason why Hexthorpe Manor Community was separted from the trust that run Holy Rood House was that it would make it easier for the Trust to close Hexthorpe Manor.  It may not have been official policy but at least some people expected Hexthorpe Manor Community to close. 

Working at Hexthorpe Manor was at this point stressful.  The manager became ill and eventually he left the employment of Hexthorpe Manor Community.  I was left alone with a dwindling number of residents.  There was talk of appointing a new manager and there was possibly someone that the Baxter's had in  mind.  There was a glimmer of hope as new residents came to Hexthorpe.

Spiritual Warfare
At one point I was asked by a resident if I knew about the significance of cassette / video tape and twigs placed in certain patterns.  I said that I was.  (It is acknowledged in certain Christian circles that members of covens etc record curses on tape then place that tape in strategic places to curse that place).  Within days, I saw a certain woman who a few years ago who lived near some of my friends and they pointed out to me that she was a well known member of a local coven.  I don't know if this inforamtion is true or if it was just people making up a story about a womans strange behaviour, but it casued me to think that we were engaged in spiritual warfare and that Hexthorpe Manor was being targeted.  Whatever the source it was felt that Hexthorpe Manor was under attack and whatever people think we took a hit.

Then the end came.

A new mental health charity came into existence overnight in Doncaster called Rebound.  One of our two remaining residents discovered their drop in and informed them about Hexthorpe Manor.

Not only was some of the land sold for building but the whole house was also sold to local business Pentrose Homes.  Hexthorpe Manor Community became increasingly dependent on them.  A local fundraiser had declined to help Hexthorpe Manor Community apply for grants because of this fact.  She informed the former manager that it was like selling the family silver.  It should not have been done.

Paul R, one of the directors of Pentrose Homes had been in contact with Rebound.  One day he came to the manor and told me that he was meeting with representatives of Rebound, that I had nothing to be concerned about.  He had a plan for them to take the running of the Hexthorpe Manor over and all residents and staff would be part of the deal.  I was sworn to secrecy.  But I was not convinced that it was right.

I was informed by a resident that Paul R had a meeting with Revd.Stanley Baxter and told him that Hexthorpe Manor had to be full or Rebound would be brought in.  (At this point the residents seemed to know more information than I was told.  I discovered later that a resident became very good at listening through doors, especially when the directors met)  I'm not 100% clear about what happened next but it was agreed that Hexthorpe Manor Community would work with Rebound.  Consequently the trust would not need to employ me.  I had to discuss my future with Rebound but my job with the community would end on 30th September 2010.

When the end came it was like a bloodless coup.  The ministry at Hexthorpe Manor came to an end and a valuable Christan resource was lost.

But it was as if God's hand of protection was taken off the Manor House.  One resident said that she had felt safe but as soon as Rebound took over that feeling of safe space disappeared.  Theft occurred and people said that they no longer felt physically safe.

What was the chapel became a games room..  What was the strongest thing that the Community had to offer was gone.

What am I talking about? The chance to meet with the God who wants to heal.

Rebound in charge?
Rebound took me on after my contract with Hexthorpe Manor Community came to an end.  However, on Novemeber 2nd 2010 they made me redundant.  I can only see this as a blessing.  When Rebound took over at the Manor House they immediately increased the capacity to 10 residents.  This gave the signal that money was the motivating factor not to bring healing or to create a healing atmosphere.

It became increasingly stressful to work at Hexthorpe Manor.  Often I would be the only member of staff and no one from Rebound would show up to give me support.  I am certain that in not providing adequate supervision health and safety regulations were being broken.

What was not planned for was the possibility that putting people with different mental health problems together unsupervised would in it self cause problems.  The psychotic would wind up the neurotic.  Increasingly the residents would go into a crisis and call the mental health crisis team.  Hexthorpe Manor became a "hotel", in fact Rebound encourage residents to think of it as so.  One resident complained, "but its my home."

No therapy would be offered at Hexthorpe but residents would have to go to Rebounds main building in Doncaster to access support.  Compared to what was on offer by Hexthorpe Manor Community it seemed cold and uncaring.  In one week there no less than eight suicide attempts by three residents, someting that had never happened when I was working for the community.  It got to the point that I didn't know what I would find when I got to work each morning.  Would I find that a resident had been successful in their attempt to end it all?

Mr Andrew Brown, the head guy of Rebound came to the Manor House on a daily basis until he was advised by his staff at HQ not to do so because the behaviour of the residents created stress for him.  (As the staff led me to believe)  If the residents were causing him stress what about the duty of care that Rebound had for me who worked in the thick of it?

Towards the end I had to receive complaints from the local community and Doncaster Council as Rebound had dumped used tyres on the property.  The council asked for them to be removed within a week.  I informed Mr Brown about it who responded by saying that "no one tells him what to do."  It was a relief not to be working at Hexthorpe Manor in the end.  Although the tyres have finally been removed (after more than 4 weeks) I feel like some other local residents that Hexthorpe Manor is bringing the area down.  An example of this is that last week (W/C November 15th 2010) the police were called to Hexthorpe Manor who came in three police cars, much to the amusement of some local school children.

Lessons
What was good about Hexthorpe Manor was that everyone, staff and residents were members of the community.  The prayer life of the community was special.  The liturgy used was highly suited for the type of members that the community had.

In the end it was the spiritual resource that held things together.  On one occasion I could smell the presence of God after Alan and I had prayed together in the chapel.  It was the prayer life of the community that was the basis of the healing that was on offer.  I noticed that even when we had difficult times with residents, after we prayed together potential problems dispersed.  In this context there were few potential flash points. 

I learned that it is relationships and the interactions we have that creates a healing environment and the space for God to work.

I have also learned that finance is important but we must not be blinded by them.  The need for money may cause us to make partnerships with others who do not fully understand what we are about. We may need to make such partnerships but we should work out what the partership means and how it will work out in practice before we rush into signing any agreement.

I consider that the relationship I had with the residents was a pastoral one and I recall a definition of being a pastor given by Peter Horibim that a pastor is someone who puts himself between the sheep and the wolves.  I hope that I had a positive relationship with the residents as it is how we related to one another in community that builds community and I pray that the former community members continue in their healing journeys to wholeness in Christ.

Their stories have had an effect on me and for that I am thankful.