Cygnet Hospital Kewstoke’s Farm Project – Outside Spaces Award
At Cygnet Hospital Kewstoke, the Farm Project has been shortlisted for the Outside Spaces Award. The project centres on the transformation of an eight-year disused on-site farm into a therapeutic outdoor space designed to support recovery through nature-based activity. It provides a dedicated environment for horticultural therapy, skill development and community engagement within the hospital grounds.
Service users worked side-by-side with staff and Experts by Experience to clear, plant and design the space, ensuring it feels safe, empowering and rooted in recovery. Today, the farm supports structured therapy, skill-building and social connection, with patients growing and cooking their own produce.
Hospital Manager Josh Tapp explained: “I am absolutely delighted to see our project recognised at the awards. What was once overgrown land has been reimagined into a thriving farm and horticultural hub, shaped not by plans on paper, but by the people who use it every day.
“It stands as a powerful example of where meaningful activity helps people rebuild identity beyond diagnosis while reconnecting with the local community. We are really excited about the future of this project.”
Cygnet Hospital Woking’s Oaktree Ward – Clinical Team of the Year
At Cygnet Hospital Woking, Oaktree Ward, an 11-bed female low secure mental health service, has been shortlisted for Clinical Team of the Year.
The team successfully bid for a £30,000 grant to redesign the ward’s seclusion area. Recognising the emotional impact that restrictive environments can have on individuals in crisis, the team ensured the project would be developed through co-production with patients. By embedding lived experience into the design process, the new space supports de-escalation, dignity and psychological safety while improving the overall therapeutic quality of the ward.
Oaktree Ward has also demonstrated outstanding partnership working across services. The team successfully supported two women experiencing high-risk pregnancies alongside severe mental illness, working closely with maternity teams and external agencies to ensure safe outcomes for both mothers and their unborn children. These partnerships enabled smooth transitions to specialist Mother and Baby Units while maintaining vital family connections.
Additionally, the team supported a patient in reconnecting with her family in Nigeria during an eight-week visit by coordinating care with a mental health facility overseas, ensuring continuity of support. In another complex case, the ward successfully repatriated a patient from Canada in critical condition and supported her recovery through compassionate, multidisciplinary care until she was ready for discharge.
Kirti Paik, Clinical Practice Educator at Cygnet Hospital Woking said: “The team are thriving under the current leadership and are doing an incredible job at ensuring successful outcomes for those in our care.
“It is really uplifting to see the hard work and commitment of the team, who go above and beyond, recognised with this award shortlisting.”
Cygnet Elowen Hospital – Project of the Year (Refurbishment)
Meanwhile, Cygnet Elowen Hospital has been recognised in the Project of the Year (Refurbishment) category. Formerly a nursing home, Elowen, which opened in July 2025, has been completely transformed into a specialist service for adults with eating disorders and mental health needs.
Every detail of the environment has been carefully designed to promote calm, dignity and independence, from the use of colour and natural light to flexible spaces that adapt to each stage of recovery. Grounded in co-production and guided by frameworks such as the Autistic SPACE framework, the hospital sets a new benchmark for therapeutic, non-institutional mental health environments that truly support wellbeing.
Cygnet’s Interior Fit-Out Lead, Hannah Cooper, said: “Cygnet Elowen Hospital is more than a refurbishment; it is a model for future mental health environments. By combining innovative design, sustainable thinking, strong collaboration and genuine co-production, the project delivers a visually engaging, flexible and deeply therapeutic space that actively enhances recovery and demonstrates what modern mental health care environments can achieve for patients and staff.”
Cygnet Hospital Harrow’s Springs Service – Clinical Team of the Year
Cygnet Hospital Harrow has received two shortlistings. The team behind the Springs service, a male autism service, has been shortlisted for Clinical Team of the Year, in recognition of their work supporting a young autistic man with highly complex needs.
The team developed a bespoke care approach centred on his individual needs and preferences. Through a deeply committed nursing team, trust was built step by step. Over time, behaviours reduced, engagement increased, and for the first time in years, he began reconnecting with others, ultimately moving closer to home and his family.
Cygnet Hospital Harrow – Project of the Year (Future Design)
The second nomination for Cygnet Hospital Harrow is in Project of the Year (Future Design) after the team purposefully adapted the environment to best support a service user. This included a padded sensory regulation room, a private bedroom, a transitional airlock space, a medication hatch system, and controlled access to a private patio and communal garden. Environmental factors such as lighting, noise reduction, sensory modulation and visual predictability were carefully considered to support emotional regulation.
Hospital Manager Will Anderson-White said: “We are incredibly proud to see Cygnet Hospital Harrow recognised at a national level, with two shortlistings. This recognition reflects the commitment, innovation and belief of our clinical teams, who have fully embraced our vision for a specialist Autism Pathway that is compassionate, progressive and truly person-centred.
“What we are building at Harrow goes beyond service development, it represents a fundamental shift in how complex autism care can and should be delivered. By combining therapeutic design with expert clinical practice, we are shaping a model that supports recovery, reduces restriction and creates environments where individuals can genuinely thrive.
“It is an exciting time, not just for our hospital, but for the wider landscape of mental healthcare. We are proud to be contributing to that future, and I want to thank every member of the team for their dedication in bringing this vision to life.”
Winners will be announced at the Design in Mental Health Conference in June.