DIMHN 2021 AGM


A focus on widening engagement planned


The Design in Mental Health Network’s 2021 AGM, held ‘virtually’ on 3 November, saw reports presented by Chair, Philip Ross, and Treasurer, Phil Barsby, as well as the leads of the DiMHN’s various Workstreams. Highlights of 2021, the participants explained, had included August’s holding of a successful in-person conference and exhibition, the start of testing and initial evaluation of the product testing scheme jointly developed by the DiMHN and BRE, a re-design of the organisation’s website, publication of a further booklet in the Design with People in Mind series, and a renewed focus on stakeholder and community engagement.


Commenting on the past 12 months as he introduced his Chair’s report at the 2021 DiMHN AGM, Philip Ross said that although 2021 had been a difficult year, the mental healthcare community and all associated with it had ‘made it through’ what he hoped would be a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ event, ‘working together to continue our mission to create better health environments’. While the DiMHN and its Board continued with ‘digital working’ into 2021, the Network had decided to ‘take a leap of faith’ in proceeding with its annual conference and exhibition on a face-to- face basis. Philip Ross said: “The two days of the show in Coventry – 24-25 August – brought everyone together to see the latest innovations, listen and learn from those with lived experience in mental health environments, and see examples of best practice design, and how the use of technology is creating better spaces for recovery.” Philip Ross said he had come away ‘with one key realisation – that we need to ensure that we consider psychological safety as much as physical safety; we should be pushing designers and manufacturers to achieve both’.


Booklet on ‘Borders and Boundaries’ launched


The 2021 annual conference had seen the Research Workstream launch another booklet in the Design With People in Mind (DWPIM) series, focusing on ‘Borders and Boundaries’ – a subject Philip Ross said had been ‘inspired by our collective experience of lockdowns’. It explores ‘the many psychological borders and boundaries in mental health wards, and how careful consideration of these can positively impact the care experience’. To access a copy, visit the ‘Resources’ section of the DiMHN’s website, at: https://dimhn.org/resources The year had also seen a significant ‘refresh and re-design’ of the DiMHN’s website ‘to focus more on creating a day-


THE NETWORK | JANUARY 2022


to-day space for discussion, and finding evidence to help people make good design decisions’. Philip Ross said the hope was that the website would become ‘the go-to place’ for anyone working on creating or renovating mental healthcare environments. He encouraged those who had not yet done so to ‘check it out and sign up for free’. (at: https://dimhn.org/plans/choose- a-subscription).


Start of product testing


Another significant milestone had been the start of BRE’s testing at its Watford site of products designed for use in mental healthcare environments under the ‘Informed Choices’ testing guidance and certification scheme jointly developed by


the DiMHN and the BRE over the past 4-5 years. While the pandemic had slowed getting testing under way, the DiMHN and the BRE had now reviewed the first full test, and refined the guidance and reporting, to ensure both that it was easy for product manufacturers/suppliers to use, and equally for specifiers such as NHS Trust Estates & Facilities personnel to select products that had undergone independent testing and thus have assurance of performance. Philip Ross said he saw ‘a great connection with this initiative and the push for psychological safety’; he drew on the analogy of the car industry having improved driver and passenger safety using testing frameworks such as NCAP.


The DiMHN’s Chair, Philip Ross, said he had come away from August’s DiMH 2021 conference and exhibition ‘with one key realisation – that we need to ensure that we consider psychological safety as much as physical safety; we should be pushing designers and manufacturers to achieve both’.


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