Patients now have access to homely environments – named ‘social hubs’- away from the wards after unused spaces in the hospitals were given a stunning makeover in an effort to provide service users with a safe space where they could relax and socialise together.
The social hubs came about following feedback from patients who said they would benefit from having non-clinical rooms to wind down in. They have been co-produced, designed and installed by staff and patients working together.
The first social hub was installed at Cygnet Hospital Bierley, and its success paved the way for further installations at other Cygnet Hospitals including Cygnet Churchill, Cygnet Hospital Harrow, Cygnet Storthfield House, Cygnet Lodge Brighouse, Cygnet Hospital Woking, and many others.
In September 2025 we held the opening day of Cygnet Bury Hudson’s new Social Hub, our biggest Social Hub to date! Watch the video below to see how a previously little used space was transformed by a team of staff, patients and experts by experience.
In the video below you can watch how an activities room at Cygnet Storthfield House was transformed into a Social Hub in a single day.
On their regular visits to services, our Experts by Experience (those with lived experience of inpatient settings) work with service users and management to identify the items for proposed hubs which can include everything from a full gaming suite, arcade machines and sensory lighting to an aromatherapy diffuser, bean bags and recording studio equipment.
Below is a gallery showcasing some of the Social Hubs that have been created across Cygnet services.
Raf Hamaizia, Cygnet Expert by Experience Lead, said: “This co-produced project demonstrates how staff and service users can enhance both the built environment and engagement through working together.
“The new social hubs are a great place for service users to get off the wards to relax and socialise, particularly on evenings and weekends. Feedback from the community meetings at services has been really positive with one service user saying that the room “gives a positive and relaxing energy” and another remarking that it is “stunning and helps us to stay chilled.”
“We strive to make our services “homes away from homes” and the social hubs have been hugely beneficial for the service users, reducing incidents and providing them with a non-clinical, homely environment to enhance off-ward activities. It is refreshing to see how quickly the hubs are growing and the amazing feedback we are getting from both service users and staff alike.”
Awards
Cygnet’s Social Hubs have received national recognition for their innovative, co-produced approach to improving patient experience and recovery environments. The project has been shortlisted for the Patient Engagement and Experience Initiative of the Year at the HSJ Partnership Awards 2026, highlighting its impact in empowering service users and enhancing wellbeing.
In addition, the Social Hubs have been recognised within the healthcare design community, winning the Low Cost-High Impact award at the 2025 Design in Mental Health Awards. The “Low Cost-High Impact” category recognised projects that achieve significant improvements in patient care, well-being or safety, at little cost.
The Patient Experience Network National Awards are the first and only awards programme to recognise best practice in patient experience across all facets of health and social care in the UK.
These accolades reflect the success of Cygnet’s co-production model, with Social Hubs developed in collaboration with service users to create meaningful spaces that promote connection, creativity and a sense of community.