Redwoods Centre boosts wellbeing of mental health inpatients with new sensory room

The experience of acute mental health inpatients at The Redwoods Centre in Shrewsbury has been enhanced following the creation of a dedicated sensory space.

Designed to support emotional regulation, reduce distress and promote wellbeing, the new sensory friendly room, located on Birch Ward is equipped with fixed features including padded seating, soft flooring, and a hurricane tube, alongside movable items such as an egg chair, rocker, squeeze canoe, and beanbag.

To enhance the inpatient experience, patients on Redwoods’ acute and older adults wards are offered weekly sensory exploration sessions, typically facilitated by a sensory integration trained Occupational Therapist (OT) alongside an Allied Health Professional (AHP) assistant or another AHP such as a Speech and Language Therapist. These sessions allow patients to engage with a variety of sensory items, helping them explore and identify their individual sensory preferences.

The room is already proving popular with patients, with feedback so far including:

• “Enjoyed the session to try different sensory items, especially seeing and touching the different light up sensory items.”
• “The sensory session offers a time to relax on the ward, it feels like a different environment with relaxing music and sensory items to use.”
• “I have found the use of the weighed lap pad and shoulder pad helpful to make me relax and have been able to use this in my own time, which is great.”

Charlotte Wise, Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist for inpatient wards at The Redwoods Centre jointly designed and developed the room with volunteer Marilyn Jones and Modern Matron Adam Chambers.

Charlotte explains: “The room includes a range of sensory items designed to support emotional regulation, reduce distress, and promote wellbeing, which could offer a calming alternative to restrictive interventions, aiding recovery through sensory exploration and self-awareness.

“The sensory informed space has been used by patients with neurodiverse needs or those experiencing heightened agitation as part of therapeutic interventions led by the OT and nursing team.”

Funding for the creation of the room was secured from NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin. In addition to the funding for the sensory space, there was also an opportunity for OTs within the team to complete more formal sensory training, provided by Sensory Integration Education and ASI Wise, to enhance support for patients.