A focus on widening engagement planned

Highlights of 2021, the participants explained, had included August’s holding of a successful in-person conference and exhibition, the start of testing and initial evaluation of the product testing scheme jointly developed by the DiMHN and BRE, a re-design of the organisation’s website, publication of a further booklet in the Design with People in Mind series, and a renewed focus on stakeholder and community engagement.

Commenting on the past 12 months as he introduced his Chair’s report at the 2021 DiMHN AGM, Philip Ross said that although 2021 had been a difficult year, the mental healthcare community and all associated with it had ‘made it through’ what he hoped would be a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ event, ‘working together to continue our mission to create better health environments’. While the DiMHN and its Board continued with ‘digital working’ into 2021, the Network had decided to ‘take a leap of faith’ in proceeding with its annual conference and exhibition on a face-toface basis. Philip Ross said: “The two days of the show in Coventry – 24-25 August – brought everyone together to see the latest innovations, listen and learn from those with lived experience in mental health environments, and see examples of best practice design, and how the use of technology is creating better spaces for recovery.” Philip Ross said he had come away ‘with one key realisation – that we need to ensure that we consider psychological safety as much as physical safety; we should be pushing designers and manufacturers to achieve both’.

Booklet on ‘Borders and Boundaries’ launched