Clinical space at two Flintshire mental health services have been transformed in a collaboration between patients and staff.
Arcade games, sensory lighting, neon signs, and pool tables have turned traditional clinical spaces at Cygnet Delfryn House and Lodge, a high-support inpatient rehabilitation service for men and women with severe mental illnesses, into warm "Social Hubs".
These areas serve as havens where patients can relax and interact, created from unused areas within the facilities.
The revolutionary Social Hubs have been co-developed by patients and staff and are currently in place across numerous Cygnet Health Care services.
The hubs include arcade games (Image: Cygnet)
The creation of these hubs was inspired by patient's feedback for non-clinical areas to unwind.
As a result, a team comprising staff and experts by experience used a wish list from patients to revamp an empty room at the Cygnet Health Care services on Argoed Hall Lane, Mold, Flintshire.
The space now has games consoles, arcade machines, sensory lighting and a refreshed pool table.
Patients can play video games (Image: Cygnet)
Patients were deeply involved in the creation process, even being taken on shopping trips to select items for the hub, enhancing their sense of project ownership.
Raf Hamaizia, Cygnet Health Care expert by experience Lead, said: "This co-produced project demonstrates how staff and service users can enhance both the built environment and engagement through working together."
Feedback from community meetings has been highly positive, with one service user describing the hub as giving off a "positive and relaxing energy".
Patients went out on shopping trips to buy things for the hub (Image: Cygnet)
Mr Hamaizia said: "We strive to make our services “homes away from homes” and the social hubs have been hugely beneficial for the service users, reducing incidents and providing them with a non-clinical, homely environment to enhance off-ward activities.
"It is refreshing to see how quickly the hubs are growing and the amazing feedback we are getting from both service users and staff alike."
Social hubs at the service normally include TVs, sound systems, Playstation, artwork, comic figurines and posters, arcade machines, board games, bean bags and adjustable sensory lighting.
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He Hamaizia added: "The ultimate benefit is the service user who has a place to do what they want to do, that they feel invested in from co-creating, that doesn’t feel clinical or hospital like.
"It helps them in working back towards creating a sense of self, connectedness and ultimately recovery.
"It also provides reassurance to families when seeing this space and knowing their loved one is not in an institution but a place that they even rate themselves.
"For service users, social hubs are a reflection of their voice being heard; we’ve listen and we’ve acted on it."
Nikki Martin, therapy coordinator at Cygnet Delfryn House, said: "A lot of the patients like the retro style of the arcade games, saying that they remind them of their youth and everyone is pleased with the colour scheme.
"Everyone really likes the wall lights and lights which go around the ceilings.
"A few of the patients have already stated that they would like to hold FIFA tournament’s on the PS5 console.
"All in all it has gone down a blast."
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