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Outdoor space at Trevillis House, Liskeard

Deliver half our clinical care, outdoors or in non-traditional spaces

All across the Trust and our healthcare system people are embracing creative and nature-based approaches alongside our more traditional care and treatment. We have come to assume that our care needs to be provided in healthcare buildings but sadly many of our buildings are not great. They do not provide ideal working environments for staff; they're not always favoured by our patients (of all ages) and they do not support our ambitious approach to sustainability and the environment.

This is an opportunity for us to think and practise differently, to work with our voluntary, community or social enterprise (VCSE) partners and our communities to create different health spaces. Spaces where activity, beauty, growing, planting, design and creation can all be part of care. When we allow ourselves to practise differently and we spend more time in nature, our own wellbeing will improve alongside that of the people we care for.

How we will do this

Shape our estates strategy around the delivery of this Clinical Strategy

In developing a strategy to transform how we use our buildings, we will ensure it is based first and foremost around the sustainable facilities we need to deliver great care. This will include both traditional health care buildings and the development of outdoor and other non-traditional spaces.

Work with our staff and patients to develop spaces that support their wellbeing

We will continuously seek feedback from our staff and patients on the environments in which we work and provide care. We will support them to take a role in developing and improving these spaces to promote wellbeing, ecological awareness, local ownership and autonomy. The spaces in which we work will become a key selling point when we recruit new staff.

Develop our skills in non-traditional approaches to care

We will develop a training network and strategy for nature-based treatment and creative health approaches in mental health and physical health care. We will focus recruitment messages to attract those whose ambitions and skills in environmental sustainability will enable working in nature, through creativity and community engagement.

How will we know we have achieved this?

We will know we have achieved this when:

  • we have implemented our estates strategy, including the development of a number of new and innovative spaces for the provision of care
  • the Trevillis House Healing by Nature site is a success and seen as a replicable model for community engagement, new models of integrated care in the outdoors, sustainability and the preservation of biodiversity
  • we can demonstrate an increase in the number of staff skilled in nature and creative approaches to health
  • we can demonstrate that half of the clinical care that we provide is outdoors or in other non-traditional settings
  • staff survey results show our workforce is benefiting from and celebrating the opportunity to work in novel and innovative ways

Linked Care Quality Commission statements

  • Partnership and communities.
  • Environmental sustainability.