Elien Neimeijer

16 repressive to open and therapeutic. A therapeutic group climate is characterised by a structured and safe environment, with support from sociotherapists, provision of oppor- tunities for personal growth, and clear rules and limits (Doyle et al., 2017; Tonkin, 2015; Stams & Van der Helm, 2017). By contrast, a repressive group climate is characterised by a lack of structure, unduly strict control, loss of autonomy, absence of mutual respect, boredom, feelings of despair, aggression, and lack of perspective (De Valk, 2019). A range of organisational factors as well as sociotherapist and client characteristics are seen to potentially influence group climate. Altering these factors through provision of staff sup- port, a clear ward ethos and focus on a person centred approach to care (that empowers clients) may be key to a therapeutic group climate. These factors may help develop the secure base and care orientation that facilitates growth and change in the client group while maintaining sociotherapists’ ability to form therapeutic relationships with clients (Doyle et al., 2017). This secure base and support provides treatment motivation (Van der Helm, 2012; Van der Helm et al., 2018). From the perspective of the main motivation theory, the self-determination theory (SDT; Ryan & Deci, 2017), sociotherapists and other professionals should be respon- sive to the client’s needs for competence (i.e., perceptions of ability), connectedness (i.e., feeling socially accepted, included, and supported), and autonomy (i.e., exercising re- sponsibility, choice, and decision-making) to facilitate cognitive, social and emotional development (Ryan & Deci, 2017; Van der Helm & Vandevelde, 2018). These three basic psychological needs overlap with the characteristics of the therapeutic group climate (Van der Helm et al., 2018) and can be translated into three main tasks of sociotherapists in secure forensic settings for MID-BIF: 1) making contact and maintaining a therapeutic alliance with clients (connectedness), 2) stimulating growth, development and compe- tence (creating learning moments and offering space to practice with new behaviour), 3) with as little restriction of autonomy as possible (as much independence and freedom of movement as possible) (Van der Helm et al., 2018). Dealing with these complex tasks requires a high degree of professionalism from sociotherapists. This professionalism is largely determined by work experience and the competencies and skills of sociothera- pists, such as being reliable, available, predictable, to be able to maintain contact with important people in the environment of the clients, and to be able to recognize and influence group dynamic processes on the living group. In addition to these person-relat- ed factors, the professional behaviour of sociotherapists is also influenced by prevailing team functioning and by the organisational culture (Van Miert, & Dekker 2020).