Made for living - The Future of Mental Health Design: Social Hubs Creating Joy

by Philip Ross & Raf Hamaizia

What happens when you let someone with Lived Experience of inpatient mental health spaces reimagine that empty room down the corridor? Magical things!

Imagine stepping into a space designed not just for service users but with them. A place that feels social, warm, and uplifting, a stark contrast to the mental health settings so often described by service users as "noisy, depressing, and clinical."

This vision is becoming a reality through Cygnet’s Social Hub initiative, led by Raf Hamaizia, Expert by Experience Lead. These hubs are reshaping mental health environments by prioritising co-production, bringing together service users, staff, and estate teams to create spaces that foster connection, independence, and recovery.

The Power of Space in Mental Health Recovery

Raf is someone who has experienced inpatient mental health care firsthand and now works to improve these environments, he has seen how much the built environment influences recovery. Clinical, uninspiring spaces can make you feel powerless. But environments designed with warmth, engagement, and community in mind? They can change everything.

This understanding drove him to champion Social Hubs - dedicated spaces within Cygnet Health Care and Cygnet Social Care services that move beyond restrictive, clinical environments to create areas designed to empower and engage both service users and staff.

At Safehinge Primera, we believe in the power of people-centred environments. That’s why we’re shining a light on this initiative - because when spaces are shaped by the people who use them, the results speak for themselves.

In this piece, we explore the journey of Social Hubs, why they matter, how they’re co-produced with the people who use them, and their transformative impact across multiple mental health settings.

Creating Spaces of Engagement and Recovery

One of the core principles behind social hubs is to improve engagement between service users and staff. The traditional model often places the burden of meaningful activity solely on occupational therapists, leaving other staff members in passive roles with respect to therapeutic activities. By providing stimulating environments equipped with various entertainment options, Cygnet encourages all staff, including nurses and support workers, to take a more active role in engagement.

For instance, rather than spending time in a corridor watching a patient sleep during close observations, staff can engage with patients in the social hubs, playing games and discussing recovery goals. This shift not only benefits the service users but also provides staff with a more stimulating and rewarding work environment. This contributes to reductions in burnout and an increase in job satisfaction among staff members.

Designed With, Not Just For, Service Users

“A restrictive, institutional setting can make you feel powerless. But a warm, engaging space can support recovery in ways that medication alone cannot.”

— Raf Hamaizia, Expert by Experience Lead at Cygnet Health Care

Unlike traditional refurbishments that are planned and executed from the top down, Social Hubs are co-produced with the people who use them.

Here’s how it works:

1. Service users and staff create a ‘wish list’: deciding together what they want in their hub.
2. The transformation happens in a single day: bringing together estates teams, staff, and service users to co-create the space.
3. The result is a fully functional, therapeutic social hub: not just a common room, but an environment designed by the people who will use it.

A Collaborative Approach

Co-production is at the heart of the Social Hub project. From day one, Cygnet has worked side by side with service users to shape these spaces, ensuring they aren’t just designed for them, but with them. It all starts with a simple yet powerful step - a ‘wish list’. Service users and staff come together to decide what they want in their hub, from décor and furniture to entertainment and sensory features. This collaborative approach ensures that each hub truly reflects the needs and preferences of those who will use it, creating a sense of ownership, pride, and belonging.

Once everything arrives, the real transformation begins. In just one day, service users, staff, estates teams, and experts by experience come together to bring the hub to life. It’s fast, hands-on, and filled with energy—a process that turns an empty or underutilised space into something vibrant, welcoming, and genuinely therapeutic.

Take Cygnet Fountains in Blackburn, for example. Service users were taken on a trip to a local shopping centre to personally select items for their hub, giving them a direct role in shaping their environment. Meanwhile, at Cygnet Delfryn in North Wales, service users took the lead in choosing the flooring, paint, wall designs, and furniture, ensuring their hub felt like home. It’s more than just a makeover, it’s about empowerment, choice, and creating spaces that feel theirs.

What Makes a Social Hub?

A Social Hub is designed to shift the atmosphere of a mental health facility - creating a homely, engaging environment that encourages social interaction and positive risk-taking.

Key features of social hubs:

Multi-sensory design – Soft lighting, immersive sound, and visually stimulating artwork create a calm and adaptable environment.
Interactive entertainment – Gaming consoles, board games, and shared activities foster meaningful social engagement.
Comfortable, flexible furnishings – Bean bags, soft seating, and non-clinical materials make the space feel warm and welcoming.
Personalisation & ownership – Service users choose the décor and activities, reinforcing a sense of belonging.

Rolling out Social Hubs hasn’t come without its challenges, especially when transforming a space in just a single day. Raf describes that one of the biggest tests was installing two hubs in a single day at Cygnet Delfryn Lodge and Cygnet Delfryn House. There was understandable skepticism - could it really be done? But through sheer teamwork, energy, and the collective effort of service users, staff, and the estate team, Cygnet made it happen.

Listening to Raf, we can see how this experience reinforced exactly why co-production is so powerful. When people feel invested in a space, the excitement and momentum it generates are undeniable. And the response speaks for itself. At Cygnet Delfryn Lodge, service users described the new hub as “just the pick-me-up” they needed. Over at Cygnet Hospital Woking, the space has become a much-needed retreat, offering service users a break from the ward environment and a place to relax, connect, and recharge.

A service user at Cygnet Bierley summed it up:
"The Social Hub is a place to go when the wards get too much—somewhere to relax, take your mind off things, and feel at home instead of in a hospital."

The Impact on Staff and Service Users

For Service Users: A safe space to build confidence & independence

Social Hubs create structured opportunities for independence within a safe and supportive environment, helping service users build confidence and develop essential social skills. By fostering a sense of normality, they encourage positive routines and self-directed activities, providing a bridge to community reintegration and easing the transition back to everyday life. These hubs also serve as vital social spaces, reducing isolation and strengthening peer relationships, ultimately enhancing overall well-being and recovery.

For Staff: From supervision to connection - A shift in staff engagement

One of the biggest transformations brought by Social Hubs is the shift in staff interactions. Instead of passively supervising from a distance, staff are actively engaging with service users, playing games, leading group discussions, and building meaningful relationships. This shift has been game-changing for staff morale, reducing burnout by making their roles more fulfilling, strengthening therapeutic relationships by fostering trust, and creating a more manageable ward environment that eases the pressures of challenging days for everyone.

A staff member at Cygnet shared:
"Having a space where we can connect with service users on a personal level has made such a difference. It’s not just about managing risks anymore - it’s about fostering recovery."

The Therapeutic Impact of Social Hubs

Across services where they’ve been introduced, there’s been a noticeable drop in incidents and complaints, as service users feel more engaged, less agitated, and better supported. 

Over a six-month period, the introduction of Social Hubs led to a 25-35% reduction in incidents
across multiple Cygnet sites. At Cygnet Hospital Beckton, there was a dramatic improvement
with a 71% reduction in incidents of violence and aggression, in just one month.

At the same time, staff satisfaction and retention have improved, with teams reporting a more positive and rewarding work environment.

At Cygnet Hospital Woking, staff engagement increased by 45%, correlating with a 35% drop in burnout. This suggests that when staff have meaningful interactions with service users, rather than just supervising from a distance—their roles feel more rewarding and less stressful.

Another Cygnet staff member highlighted the sense of normality these spaces provide, stating, "I never imagined we could create such a ‘normal’ space in a mental health unit. It mirrors what we have access to in the community and brings a comforting sense of normality to difficult days."

Compliance with NHS patient experience standards has also seen an uplift, as services shift towards more person-centred care - moving away from purely clinical spaces to environments that genuinely support recovery, well-being, and social connection. At sites like Cygnet Delfryn and Cygnet Hospital Woking, Social Hubs have become an integral part of the ward, with both staff and service users sharing overwhelmingly positive feedback.

Social Hubs are no longer an experiment, they’re an exciting model for improving mental health environments and bringing some joy to both service users and staff.

Scaling the Vision: The Future of Mental Health Spaces

The demand for more human-centred design in mental health settings is growing, and as Cygnet expands the Social Hub programme, the vision is clear - every mental health hospital should have a dedicated Social Hub, ensuring that designing for well-being becomes the standard, not the exception. Mental health facilities should be spaces that support recovery rather than reinforce restriction. But the opportunity extends beyond Social Hubs; it’s about rethinking the design of mental health environments from the ground up, creating spaces that truly foster dignity, connection, and long-term healing.

Some services now welcome family visits within Social Hubs, allowing loved ones to connect in a warm, engaging space, moving beyond the limitations of traditional visiting rooms. This shift transforms the visiting experience, fostering a more natural and comforting environment for everyone involved.

As Social Hubs continue to expand, Cygnet’s vision is to ensure every service user has access to a space that feels like a home away from home, a place to relax, socialise, and take part in meaningful activities, especially during evenings and weekends, when things can be that little bit harder.

We Believe in People-Centred Design

Together with Cygnet we believe that great design doesn’t just transforms spaces - it transforms lives. That’s why we champion initiatives like Social Hubs and continue to develop products that seamlessly blend safety with dignity, always starting with listening to the voice of Lived Experience and co-production throughout. 

Our work aligns with the priorities of the NHS and mental health services, focusing on reducing restrictive practices by creating environments that promote autonomy and choice, enhancing patient dignity through discreet, non-institutional safety measures, and ensuring compliance with regulations without compromising the human experience. By prioritising both protection and empowerment, we’re shaping spaces that support recovery.

Want to find out more about therapeutic design and how to implement it in your facility?

Get in touch with us to arrange a chat.