Silverwood, Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Trust Case Study

Silverwood: A Safer Space, A Brighter Future

When Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust began planning Silverwood — their newest mental health facility — they saw an opportunity to create more than just a building. They saw a chance to improve safety, build in independence, and shape a calmer environment where people could begin their recovery with dignity.

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Having already experienced the life-saving impact of our full-door ligature alarm system elsewhere in the Trust, they were keen to embed those benefits into Silverwood. Alongside full-door sensing, this also included our integrated digital dashboard, which empowered the ligature safety lead to reduce response times from 1 minute 17 seconds to an average of just 25 seconds — using data to facilitate process refinement and improved training.

The project also presented a chance to align with the Trust’s broader goals — enabling service user autonomy, streamlining access control, and reducing environmental impact. Working closely with the Trust’s clinical and property teams, we delivered over 204 tailored doorsets with solutions adapted to meet a variety of service user needs.

The Challenge: Balancing Safety, Dignity, and Day-to-Day Functionality

Designing for mental health means finding the right balance — safety without restriction, privacy without isolation, and functionality without complexity. At Silverwood, Surrey and Borders needed a solution that addressed a wide range of requirements:

Reducing risk in a high-acuity environment without restricting service user independence.
Supporting staff to respond quickly to incidents without adding an intrusive layer of surveillance.
Delivering safety consistently across wards with different service user groups.
Meeting all fire compliance and NHS safety standards.
Avoiding unnecessary waste and supporting the Trust’s sustainability objectives.

“It’s not just about compliance — it’s about giving clinical teams a system that works. The right door solutions mean we’re preventing problems, not just reacting to them.”
— Graham Wareham, Chief Executive, Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

The Solution: Integrated Safety, Responsive Collaboration

Every detail of Silverwood was developed through co-production — from early-stage planning to final installation. With service user dignity and staff workflows in mind, our solution combined advanced safety features with practical everyday use.

What We Delivered:

Full Door Ligature Alarm System (second generation): Co-developed with the Trust, this version included open-door sensing, responding to improvement suggestions from people with lived experience and staff. Paired with the digital dashboard, it helped staff locate and respond to incidents faster and more effectively.
Anti-Barricade System: Designed for day-to-day robustness, while allowing staff single-key access in seconds when needed. Our integral override is always ready for when staff need entry, not matter what.
Electronic Locksets with Paxton Integration: Every bedroom door was fitted with a lockset connected to the Trust’s access control system, allowing service users to lock and unlock their own rooms, while enabling staff access in emergencies. One access control system for all doors, enabling staff to use a single fob too.
Mechanical Locksets in Communal Bathrooms: Providing a sense of privacy while still allowing emergency override.
Free Swing Closers: Used in areas where lightweight operation was essential.
Reuse of 40 Doors from the Previous Facility: Delivering a significant saving and reducing waste as part of the Trust’s sustainability commitment.

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The Impact: Calmer Environments, Safer Outcomes

Silverwood is already seeing the benefits of this work, both in terms of clinical safety and everyday experience:

Continued zero suicides on bedroom doors, following on from the success of our ligature detection system since implementation in 2021 65% reduction in staff response time to bedroom door alarms
Saving £250k by repurposing doors and avoiding unnecessary landfill
Streamlined access control for staff and greater autonomy for service users
Improved feedback loops between the Trust’s clinical and property teams

“The collaboration stood out — we flagged ideas for improvements, and Safehinge Primera worked with us to co-produce solutions. That responsiveness has made a huge difference.”
— Tham Dewa, Associate Director, Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Looking Ahead

Silverwood is a remarkable example of how therapeutic environments can be co-designed to support recovery, autonomy, and sustainability. As the facility continues to evolve, Surrey and Borders continues to build on this approach, using feedback, lived experience, and service data to guide future improvements. The learning from this project will shape how similar facilities are planned and delivered, with a focus on collaboration, responsiveness, and long-term impact.

“It’s not always about new tech — sometimes it’s the quiet refinements that just make for a better and more healing environment. Sometimes this is product enhancements, faster response to issues, or creating a smoother workflow that allows staff to focus more on care and building the therapeutic relationships with service users.”
— Philip Ross, Co-Founder, Safehinge Primera

Want to Know More?

If your facility is planning upgrades or new builds and you’re looking for safety solutions that prioritise service user care and operational efficiency, we’d love to help. Get in touch with our team or visit our Full Door Ligature Alarm System and Electronic Lockset pages to learn more.