A room at the hospital has been given a stunning makeover and converted into a ‘social hub’, complete with arcade games, sensory lighting, music facilities, TV screens, electronic goods, VR headset, a guitar, inspirational artwork, board games, comfortable seating and much more to ensure service users have a safe space where they can relax and socialise together.
The Social Hubs have been designed and installed across 15 Cygnet Health Care services so far and all have been co-produced between staff and patients. The ambition is for every Cygnet service to have a social hub in due course.
Working from a wish list of items provided by the service users, a team of staff and Experts by Experience (those with lived experience of inpatient settings) worked together to spend a day at the Clifton service, transforming the space into a room which reflects their needs and preferences of the service users.
The idea is that the social hubs offer a non-clinical, homely space for service users to relax and engage in fun activities and peer support sessions, giving them a safe space away from the wards.
Service users were placed at the heart of the project from the very beginning and were escorted to a local shopping centre so they could be directly involved in choosing the items that were bought for the hub.
Expert by Experience Thomas Beasley helped to oversee the renovation. He said: “It has been a pleasure to deliver another social hub here at Cygnet Hospital Clifton.
“All of the activities in the room were chosen by the patients on site which gives them a real sense of ownership over this incredible facility.
“The social hub will provide an environment away from the clinical setting for the service users to relax and unwind without feeling they are bound by the same restrictions on the ward.
“The social hub will have a really positive impact on the wellbeing of both staff and service users alike.”
Javaid Razzaq is a Service User and Involvement Lead at Cygnet Health Care who has been involved with the social hub project since its inception, at Cygnet Hospital Bierley.
He explained: “The Social Hub has had a great impact in all Cygnet services and service users absolutely love these new spaces. It gives our hospitals a homely feel and they help to grant the ultimate off ward experience for our service users which is hugely important for their ongoing recovery.”
Raf Hamaizia, Cygnet’s Expert by Experience Lead, added: “When we talk about least restrictive practice in secure services, this has to be a living and breathing example. People who end up in secure services and there for treatment, care, support and ultimately recovery, not punishment.
“We are hoping to drive truly least restrictive environments through harnessing the power of lived experience and co-production in every service line through this initiative.”
The Cygnet Social Hub project was recently shortlisted for a national award in the Environment of Care category at this year’s Patient Experience Network National Awards. Winners will be announced in October.