S136 suite project sought to create calming spaces

How do you make a room that needs to be secure as comfortable and calming as possible for the vulnerable and distressed person occupying it? That was the question posed during this S136 refurbishment project. The answer was the careful remodelling of Pennine Care's S136 suites, with the design work centring on creating that calming environment, while making them both safe and secure for patients and staff.

The project has delivered significant upgrades to existing facilities, designed to provide welcoming and purpose-built spaces for those who need them most. The work for Pennine Care was carried out in three phases. The S136 suite at Fairfield Hospital in Bury has been refurbished, and work at Tameside Hospital has seen an existing suite revamped and a new second facility created. The third, recently completed phase, saw the refurbishment of the S136 suite at The Royal Oldham Hospital.

A Section 136 suite is a place where people can receive a mental health assessment and develop an ongoing treatment plan focused on their individual needs and requirements. The suites have to be comfortable, safe, and secure, for people who may be very vulnerable. The new-look suites at the three hospitals have been designed to create a calming environment for service-users, and an important feature in achieving that is the secure external 'garden area' that each has been given.