A gardening group is helping people receiving specialist mental health care to build their social connections, confidence and skills.
The Occupational Therapy Team in the Specialist Community Forensic Team (SCFT) at Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust runs the community gardening project for people who are living in the community or preparing to leave long term inpatient care.
Over the past six years, they have transformed an overgrown garden at the team’s base in Billericay into a space thriving with fruit, vegetables, plants and shrubs.
There is also a memorial rose bush planted in memory of a patient who passed away peacefully at home after a short illness. Staff and patients attended a memorial service led by one of the Trust’s chaplains.
It took about two years to clear and prepare the site because it was so overgrown and the group was paused during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mick, who joined the gardening project when it began and has recently returned, said: “When we first came here it was like a jungle. We spent ages putting it back to a blank canvas.
“It’s a good place. I enjoy coming up here, working with nature. It’s good for everyone – patients and staff – because it brings them together, they all enjoy doing it and you’re in the fresh air. You forget all your problems.”
Glenn, who joined a few months ago, said: “I look forward to it because I spend a lot of time during the week listening to my digital stereo. Things like this break up the week, it’s nice to be active.”
Richy has been part of the gardening group for about three years and finds it “spiritually and emotionally rewarding”.
He said: “What I like most about this group are the conversations and getting on with the work and the sense of achievement. It’s ties in really well for your mental health.
“It’s been good fun, we enjoy it. The staff here are brilliant, they keep us motivated.”
The gardening project is among a number of activities offered by the Occupational Therapy Team and their colleagues in our specialist mental health wards as part of our priority to provide personalised, inclusive care that improves mental health for everyone.
They help people to develop their interests, social connections, confidence, and skills to live more independently again after time spent in hospital.
Occupational Therapy Assistant Kate Jackson said: “A lot of people who use our services just want friendship so it’s about inviting them to groups and taking them to groups outside of the hospital that suit their interests.
“It’s rewarding when you see them go from being anxious and not quite finding their feet to finding an interest and something they connect with.
“It’s finding places where they can relax and not feel judged, and feel they’re part of the community.
“It’s about finding those social connections and that’s what we’re here for – to help them bridge that gap and flourish.”
Kelly Burgess, Allied Health Professionals Lead and Clinical Manager for Specialist Services, said: “This group has been running for over six years and I have personally seen how it has helped so many service users in different ways.
“For some individuals it has supported them to build their confidence, for other people they have learnt new skills which has led to other gardening volunteer work in the community such as the Green Spaces project in Southend.
“The group benefits the person for not only their mental health but physical health and wellbeing too. I have also seen how it can help our community service users with social isolation and give an opportunity to connect with others. It is so rewarding to see people progress and gain so much from attending the group.”
The Trust’s charity, EPUT Charitable Funds, has helped to fund the gardening project, including money for a new shed, a potting table, and fruit trees.
The charity supports initiatives that enhance the care and experience of patients, families and staff.
Visit the EPUT Charitable Funds webpage for more information on the charity’s work and how to make a donation.
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/