Young people experiencing the early signs of serious mental health difficulties are benefiting from personalised sensory wellbeing boxes, thanks to support from Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT) Charitable Funds.
The North East Essex At Risk Mental State (ARMS) team has introduced the boxes into its work with people aged 14 to 35, using charitable funding to provide practical resources that help patients regulate their emotions, feel grounded and continue their recovery beyond therapy sessions.
The ARMS service supports young people who may be experiencing unusual or distressing changes in their mental health, such as hearing voices, seeing or sensing things that others do not, feeling disconnected from the world around them or struggling with confusing thoughts. Providing support at this early stage aims to reduce the risk of more serious mental health problems developing later. The boxes are also available to people under the Early Intervention in Psychosis team.
Each sensory box is tailored to the individual and may include items such as fidget toys, colouring materials, journals, affirmation cards, calming lavender bags, herbal teas, ear plugs and other sensory resources chosen to meet that person’s needs.
Many of the people supported by the service have experienced trauma, are neurodivergent or have sensory differences. The boxes are used during therapy sessions to help people feel safe and stay present when discussing difficult experiences and can then be taken home, allowing patients to continue using the techniques they’ve learned in their everyday lives.
Jennifer Wardman-Browne, Senior Clinical Psychologist with the North East Essex ARMS team, said:
“The sensory boxes have become a really valuable part of the support we offer. Every person we work with has different experiences and different sensory needs, so being able to personalise the contents makes a real difference.
“For some people, having something to hold or draw with makes it easier to talk. For others, calming scents or sensory items help them feel grounded after discussing difficult memories. Being able to take the boxes home means those strategies don’t stop when the therapy session ends – they become part of everyday life and can also be shared with family members and carers.
“For some people, sensory grounding techniques, including familiar or calming scents, can support a return to the present moment after discussing difficult experiences.
“The items themselves are simple and relatively inexpensive, but they can make a meaningful difference to how some people manage distress and practice coping strategies between appointments.”
The project is one of many made possible through EPUT Charitable Funds, which supports initiatives that enhance patient care beyond what NHS funding alone can provide.
In recent years, donations have helped create therapy gardens, fund music therapy sessions and purchase recreational equipment across the Trust. The sensory boxes are another example of how relatively small investments can have a lasting impact, helping people feel more comfortable, supported and empowered throughout their recovery.
Every donation to EPUT Charitable Funds helps teams continue developing innovative, person-centred projects like these, improving the experiences of patients, carers and families across Essex. Find out how you can donate or fundraise on the EPUT website.
About EPUT:
- EPUT has a vision to be the leading health and wellbeing service in the provision of mental health and community care: Who we are – Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
- EPUT provides services to more than 100,000 patients at any one time and our staff are focused on providing high quality care in often complex situations.
- The organisation has invested in inpatient facilities and community services to make them safer and more therapeutic. We have extensively invested in technology to keep patients safer, enhanced training, and are continuously working with our staff, patients, their families and carers to use learning and best practice to enhance our quality of care.
- While there is more to do, the Trust has made significant progress through innovation:
- Our 111 mental health crisis phone line ensures people in need can access support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
- People with lived experience have been employed in designated roles across the Trust, ensuring patient voice is heart of the organisation and all that we do.
- A number of new initiatives have been launched, helping people access the support they need when they need it most. These include a mental health urgent care department, By Your Side maternal mental health service, Rough Sleeper team, mental health crisis ambulance cars, virtual wards and neuromodulation service.
- EPUT was formed on 1 April 2017 and provides community health, mental health and learning disability services across Essex, Luton and Bedfordshire and Suffolk. We employ more than 7,200 staff working across more than 200 sites.
- To read more about our priorities and commitments to deliver the highest quality and safest care possible, visit https://eput.nhs.uk/about-us/2023-2028-strategic-plan/