In September 2018, we embarked on our first project outside of London at Woodlands, a mental health unit that is part of Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust.
Service users and staff at Woodlands invited us to work with them to create artwork for their
136 Suite - a place of safety for those who have been detained by the police following concerns that they are suffering from a mental disorder
Mental Health Act Tribunal Room - which is used for hearings where a panel makes important decisions about a patient's section status
3 adult acute mental health review rooms - where care plans and progress are discussed by patients, carers, staff and community teams (Lark, Poppy, Avocet Wards)
A communal area for service users with dementia and their carers (Willows Ward) Together, we collectively attempted to explore how both our co-production process and the high quality artworks themselves could instil feelings of dignity and control in service users in very stressful situations.
“These artworks are ecstatic!”
- Service User, Woodlands
“The effort and attention to detail is amazing and helps my recovery more than anything else”
- Service User, Woodlands
“The best thing about it was sharing the experience with everyone as equals”
-Service User, Woodlands
“I feel more like admiring it and less like jumping over it!”
-Service User, Woodlands
“The project gave me the chance to do something creative for the first time in a long time.”
-Service User, Woodlands
The Woodlands Unit provides acute inpatient mental health services, based within the Ipswich Hospital site. It incorporates a Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit – Lark Ward; two acute mental health wards – Poppy and Avocet; and an older people’s mental health ward, Willows. These wards collectively provide care for people with a range of mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, mania, psychosis, schizophrenia, personality disorders and dementia.