Praxis Care
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Praxis Care (formerly known as Praxis Care Group) is the largest charity based in Northern Ireland, an amalgamation of four charities which has its headquarters in Belfast. Four charities initially made up the former Praxis Care Group - Praxis Mental Health, for those experiencing mental ill health such as clinical depression or schizophrenia; Respond, for older people including those suffering from dementia; Challenge, which deals with service users with learning disabilities; and the Northern Ireland Agoraphobia and Anxiety Society (although this is a separate charity in its own right, Praxis provides management and support to it). The term Praxis Care is now used in preference to any of the former names, even when referring to one of the four divisions.
Praxis' work mainly involves running schemes in which service users can live in a residential or supported environment, though it also has drop-in centres, an advocacy project, a befriending department and runs schemes in which clients can work and earn money. It has a dedicated in-house research department which monitors issues as diverse as staff satisfaction to the success of schemes, as well as doing research into mental health issues in general. The research department employs two staff involved the Supporting People Programme. The organisation also has its own in-house training department, which is responsible for regularly inducting new staff and for providing other relevant training, primarily though not exclusively to ensure that care staff are adequately trained for their work, which can involve dealing with difficult and occasionally violent situations. Other departments include Human Resources, Development, Finance and Administration.
The organisation runs schemes across Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, England and the Republic of Ireland, and is constantly developing.
Despite being the largest charity based in Northern Ireland, both in terms of turnover and staff, Praxis Care is relatively unknown to the wider community. As such the charity is currently trying to establish a Fundraising and PR Department.
Praxis Care is headed up by Chief Executive Nevin Ringland, who founded the original Praxis Mental Health in 1981. He is supported by a team of Directors and Assistant Directors. All in all, the organisation employs about 960 people, the majority of whom are in care roles although a significant minority are involved in support services.
