At this years’ Design in Mental Health Network conference and exhibition on Tuesday 17th and Wednesday 18th May 2016 the Safehinge team were proud to receive hugely positive feedback on our latest innovations, like our switchable glass vision panel, one key access and near-instant anti-barricade doorstop.
From estate teams and clinicians to contractors and architects, the products on our stand were considered to dovetail fully with the conference theme of “Meeting the Challenges Together”. Our stand showcased how we design our products with recovery in mind and work with our partners to ensure staff and service user safety.
Everything we do is designed to enhance recovery and make lives safer. And we do this by listening to what organisations need, developing and methodically abuse testing products to meet those needs and delivering real-world solutions which address the challenges of a Mental Health environment.
That’s why we used this years’ exhibition to gather feedback on our new ensuite door concept, showcase the rigorous testing we perform and unveil our new Symphony doorsets with Passport single key access.
“Meeting the challenges together”
The exhibition and conference theme was meeting the challenges in Mental Health together, and a numerous speakers endorsed the need for cooperation between clinical staff, estates teams, architects, designers and service users. This resonates with our approach of designing for recovery and ensuring that service users are treated in a dignified manner, while meeting the clinical needs.
Another feature was the sentiment that high quality design, practical usability and product safety are key to meeting the challenges in Mental Health. This was noted in both Tom Cahill’s (CEO, Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Trust) keynote presentation on developing the Kingsfisher Court as a world-class recovery-led environment and Ian Callaghan's presentation on recovery from a service user perspective.
Product innovation commendation for Swiftstop
The annual Design in Mental Health Network awards ceremony was held on the Tuesday night and co-founders Martin Izod and Philip Ross were delighted to receive the “Commended” award in the Product Innovation of the Year category for Swiftstop.
Swiftstop is a collapsible anti-barricade doorstop which provides the fastest and safest anti-barricade access in Mental Health – affording access in under one second, while safely positioning staff out of the door opening path. Swiftstop is available with either electronic Passport access card or key fob access or a mechanical Lifeline key.
Suresound, our acoustic threshold seal, is perfect for ensuring confidentiality in interview or tribunal rooms, or creating more peaceful bedrooms. It was also nominated as a Finalist in the Service User Experience category.
"Our most successful DIMHN exhibition ever”
In attributing the success of the show, Commercial Director, Philip Ross, said: “This was our most successful DIMHN exhibition ever and is a result of our continued investment is a high quality team of talented individuals who understand the challenges of a Mental Health environment and design for the real-world – developing products which balance robustness with aesthetics.”
At the exhibition, we unveiled our latest Symphony doorset for Mental Health which received overwhelmingly positive responses. This doorset features the robust Swiftfit metal doorframe, with a silent switchable glass vision panel and integrates Primera’s Passport access system for one key access.
With this intuitive, wireless one key access system the staff member’s Passport access card or key fob operates all the locking mechanisms on the door. Thus, a staff member can observe through the switchable glass vision panel, and then operate the door lock or emergency anti-barricade doorstop all with the same access card or key fob.
Ross said: “We based these product enhancements on feedback from previous events where architects and clinicians told us they wanted a fast, safe and intuitive system, which looked more like a hotel than a hospital.”
Ensuite door concept
Asking for and implementing feedback is what we do at Safehinge. And that’s why we introduced delegates to our ensuite door concept at this years’ event.
We know that the ensuite door arguably presents the biggest risk area in Mental Health and no existing ticks all the boxes. We know that the Care Quality Commission views an ensuite door as a “must have” and that service users expect it because it provides dignity and privacy for service users.
More than 25 organisations contributed to our Feedback Forum during the event and we have started developing our ensuite door concept further. As with everything we do, the product will be conscientiously designed, rigorously tested and will only come to the market when it’s safe, robust and meets the clinical needs.
If you would like to join our Feedback Forum, click here.
