Speakers at the mhdf forum

Maria Luigia Assirelli
Director | Floyd Slaski Architects

'Better mental health support for people in crisis: The importance of decongesting busy and overwhelming A&E'

Improving mental health support for people in crisis is of utmost importance, and one crucial aspect is the need to decongest busy and overwhelming Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments. A&E departments are often ill-equipped to handle mental health emergencies due to high patient volumes and limited specialized mental health resources.

By alleviating the burden on A&E with alternative choice of care such as crisis cafes and dedicated MH assessment units, we can ensure that people experiencing a mental health crisis receive appropriate and timely care.

Laura Delgado
Senior Architect | Medical Architecture

'Kimmeridge Court: A sheltered retreat for the specialist treatment of eating disorders'

Eating disorders are responsible for more loss of life than any other mental health condition and they are becoming increasingly common. Opened earlier this year, Kimmeridge Court has been specially designed to meet the growing need for the treatment of patients with eating disorders.

Sited in a protected wooded glade, the facility has been carefully crafted to preserve the quality of its natural setting and to create a uniquely private and therapeutic environment. An innovative root-protecting foundation design has enabled the retention of mature trees remarkably close to the new building, maximising the wellbeing benefit.

Through close consultation with clinical staff, the facilities have been designed to enable patients to re-establish a positive relationship with food and exercise. In this presentation, Senior Architect, Laura Delgado will examine the design of the building and how this is linked to positive outcomes for patients and staff.

Andrew Arnold
Director/Architect | Gilling Dod Architects

'Designing Bespoke Environments for Learning Disabilities'

Reflections on the new £32m Aspen Wood Low Secure Learning Disabilities Unit Project, Maghull, for Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust. Including national context re LD services, service aspirations/key drivers, Service user engagement, cross sector learnings, Sensory design, security challenges, Landscape design, the Arts, construction delivery through COVID. Lessons learned/Influence and on 2 subsequent GDA LD specific projects currently in design in Lancashire and the Black Country (i.e. Blundell Brooke LD Unit and Heath Lane LD recovery Hub). Finally, lessons learned and impact on wider Mental Health design best practice.

Kate Townsend
Programme Manager | NHS England

'Creating a Sustainable Environment in the Journey to Net Zero – South East Region'

As part of the Greener NHS team, regional teams are in place to support Trusts and Integrated Care Systems to achieve Net Zero. Just 3 years after the 2020 report ‘Delivering a net zero NHS’ so much work has been done towards this, with many different challenges also being overcome. This presentation will detail some of those key achievements and challenges, with particular focus on the estates (decarbonisation, and embracing biodiversity) and the particular importance this has within mental health settings.

Hannah Chamberlain
CEO | Design in Mental Health Network

'Bringing Us Together – the power of coproduction in mental health settings'

Design in Mental Health Network is a community of experts with professional and lived experience knowledge.  Our mission is to promote and educate on good design, coproduced with Lived Experience, for better mental health outcomes. How does coming together across silos and disciplines make this difference? A personal perspective, informed by lived experience, from Design in Mental Health Network’s CEO. 

Angeli Ganoo-Fletcher
Director | PRP Architecture LLP

'Dementia Friendly Gardens'

Health & Well-being – Our home and garden influence almost every aspect of our lives, and more so after the changing post-pandemic culture. The session will bring forward the facts and science behind well-being, introduce the essential elements that contribute to creating a healthy environment, and reveal their impacts on the users’ physical, mental and social well-being with a particular interest in Designing for Dementia.

Nana Owusu & Meg Wamithi
Director - Clinical Lead & Strategic Programmes and Innovation Lead | Hammersmith, Fulham, Ealing and Hounslow Mind

‘Crisis Alternatives: What seamless, wraparound crisis care looks like in practice for Children and Young People’

This talk introduces “Crisis Alternatives” and their practical implementation in a unique youth crisis prevention café. Developed in collaboration with young people, this approach prioritises their needs and eliminates stigma.

Exploring the model’s core elements, we stress the creation of a youth-friendly, non-stigmatising space where young people can access immediate support during emotional and mental health distress or crisis. Moreover, we underscore the vital importance of culturally responsive and trauma-informed care and spaces. Including First hand experiences from someone who navigated CAMHS and Adult services will illuminate this need.

Join us to envision a new crisis care standard, seamlessly wrapping around young people in a nurturing, understanding environment. Together, we’ll redefine youth support systems, offering a brighter future for those facing emotional and mental health distress and crisis.

Tim Steer
Senior Project Curator | Hospital Rooms

‘Transforming Mental Health Spaces with Art’

Hospital Rooms have delivered hundreds of in-person workshops and artworks since 2016. This presentation looks at some case studies that show how art sessions and art installations can have a positive social and psychological impact on service users in mental health environments.