DiMH 2022 PREVIEW
Customisable door solutions and anti-ligature alarms
Kingsway Group, which claims to have been the ‘market-leader’ in creating innovative anti-ligature door systems, ligature alarm systems, and anti-ligature hardware, ‘designed for the most demanding healthcare environments’, since 2010, says the key to its success is ‘listening to partners’ specific needs’, and then using its ‘considerable design, innovation, and manufacturing expertise, to deliver a best value solution to exceed expectations’.
It said: “Be it complete door eco-
systems, secure vision panels, or anti- ligature door handles, every product is designed with patient and staff safety in mind. We pride ourselves on our service levels and creating happy customers. That’s why door products and vision panels can be individually customised on colour, finish, and imagery. Doors come fully built, for use in either existing frames or new-builds to de-risk delays and save assembly time and money – not standard practice within the industry.” In Coventry, Kingsway will feature the Sentry full door edge anti-ligature alarm system, ‘a UK first’. Irrespective of the door being open or closed, an alarm is triggered when a weight of 7 kg or over is added to the door, enabling staff to make a positive intervention, and helping remove ‘the foremost ligature risk’ from the clinical environment.
Attractive but robust new armchairs
As part of its new Challenging Environments Collection, Menea (pictured) is a range of innovative armchairs created for Knightsbridge by in-house Design and Development manager, Catherine Hawcroft. Her brief for a new range for challenging environments combining versatility with comfort was met via the technical expertise of her development team, and re-thinking the integral design at Knightsbridge’s West Yorkshire manufacturing base. Distinguished by careful use of ergonomics to ensure a compact footprint, the initial Menea family comprises three compact chairs in high-back, mid-back, and compact versions, with dining height seats in the upright models.
A single or stylish two-tone fabric option is offered, in a number of standard upholstery fabrics for hygiene-critical areas. The products have a practical ‘down to floor’ design, with polished secure under-bottom and small feet to elevate them to aid housekeeping. Where service-users demonstrate challenging behaviour, Knightsbridge says Menea will ‘perform perfectly’, being made entirely of 18 mm ply, and demonstrating ‘some ingenious inner frame design’. Additional weight can be incorporated into the base to guard against lifting or throwing. The indestructible feet are fitted with stainless pin-torx security screws, with no gaps around the seats.
Aiming for more ‘de-institutionalised’ furniture
Tough Furniture says one of the key concerns for any individual or organisation involved in designing and constructing
genuinely therapeutic mental healthcare environments is ‘striking the right balance between guaranteeing service-user safety, and creating the most welcoming, therapeutic environment possible’. The furniture specialist said: “With mental healthcare furniture, historically the emphasis has often been on the safety and security side of the argument, rather than the therapeutic. Options have tended to be limited to re-using ex-MoD or prison furniture, using solid plastic block furniture, or assembling custom-built furniture from extremely robust materials like solid grade laminate, that admirably fulfill the
THE NETWORK | MAY 2022
requirement for robustness, but can leave something to be desired when it comes to aesthetic appeal. “However, as mental healthcare provision
evolves, the bar is also being raised in what can realistically be expected of designers and manufacturers of furniture – allowing genuine progress in breaking down what can sometimes be a false dichotomy between safety and appearance. Ultimately, the hope must be that this will lead to a much more ‘de-institutionalised’ feel to the specialist furniture used in the sector, while retaining the genuine security features required to keep people safe.”
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Helping to address capacity issues
At DiMH 2022, Medical Architecture is keen to speak to Trusts ‘about the challenges they face in providing capacity for mental health services’. The practice said: “Through our
work countrywide, we understand the shortfall in available beds, particularly for CAMHS, eating disorders, perinatal mental health, and specialist learning disabilities services. We provide strategic planning to help address capacity challenges. Alongside considering new infrastructure, this involves reviewing the existing estate and increasing density, so that existing assets are used efficiently. This helps to create expanded services that are affordable, deliver social value, and can be resourced with limited workforce availability. Ultimately,” the practice said, “our focus is on creating therapeutic environments that promote wellbeing and recovery.” Also strong believers in prioritising
access to outside space, the practice ‘ensures that architecture and landscape are integrated and combined with complementary strategies for interior design and art, to create therapeutic spaces inside and out’. It added: “We also engage with local people to ensure we design places that are needed, and that create a positive perception of local healthcare services.” The render image shows a Medical
Architecture-designed therapeutic Eating Disorders Unit at St Ann’s Hospital in Sandbanks, Dorset.
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