Redefining Sensory Support in Mental Health Settings: The Senso Cube™

At Creative Activity, we are passionate about transforming environments through innovative sensory solutions. Our award-winning sensory rooms have proven hugely beneficial in mental health settings, and now, we are taking that expertise further with the Senso Cube™ —a fully bespoke, modular sensory space designed for maximum accessibility, safety, and comfort. The Senso Cube is designed as an adaptation of traditional sensory rooms, bringing a highly flexible, immersive, and therapeutic environment into mental health settings.

The Senso Cube has the potential to redefine the way sensory interventions are delivered in hospitals, psychiatric units, and therapy spaces. This first-of-its-kind solution provides a safe, immersive, and fully adaptable sensory experience, creating calming spaces for de-escalation, therapy, and emotional regulation without requiring permanent structural modifications—something that has not been available before in mental health settings.

Although the Senso Cube has already proven successful in educational environments, it has not yet been released to the mental health market. However, extensive research, testing, and direct service user involvement in educational settings have provided valuable insights into its impact—demonstrating its potential to enhance mental health environments. 

Developed Through Research & Industry Collaboration

We have previously worked closely with mental health environments to develop anti-ligature sensory spaces, and the Senso Cube is a direct evolution of that expertise. Over the course of 2024, we conducted extensive research and collaborated closely with clinicians, occupational therapists, and mental health professionals at industry exhibitions, ensuring that this concept is not only innovative but fully aligned with the needs of mental health service users. From this we were able to fully understand the unique challenges faced in mental health environments. 

This space aims to:

• Reduce patient anxiety and distress by providing an immediate calming space in high-pressure environments.
• Enhance therapeutic outcomes by integrating customisable sensory features
• Support de-escalation strategies in mental health crisis care, giving patients a controlled and soothing space that promotes self-regulation and emotional well-being.
• Improve accessibility for facilities that lack the space or budget for permanent sensory rooms, making therapeutic interventions widely available for the first time.

Specific Features:

The Senso Cube integrates all traditional multi-sensory elements such as Bubble Tubes, dynamic lighting, calming visuals, soundproofing, and interactive technology to create a therapeutic environment tailored to individual needs. Here are some key features:

• Customisable Anti-Ligature & Safety-Focused – Developed with mental health professionals, ensuring secure fittings, durable materials, and controlled sensory features that comply with clinical safety standards.
• Soundproof & Immersive – Provides a quiet private retreat, reducing overstimulation and aiding emotional regulation for individuals experiencing distress.
• Customisable Sensory Features – The Senso Cube can be tailored to meet individual therapeutic needs.
• Quick & Cost-Effective Implementation – Plug & Play setup with no major construction required—ensuring accessibility for facilities that otherwise lack the resources to implement sensory environments.
• Full wheelchair accessibility, ensuring inclusivity for all users.
• Its customisable outer panels ensure seamless integration into hospital and clinical environments, while its robust construction guarantees durability for high-use settings.

Who We Worked With:

The Senso Cube has been successfully implemented in educational settings, where it has undergone extensive real-world user testing and feedback from service users, therapists, and educators.

• Occupational Therapists & SEN Specialists – Provided insights on sensory regulation and calming techniques.
• Students with sensory sensitivities & neurodiverse needs – Helped refine sensory elements and accessibility.
• Educational Practitioners & Caregivers – Validated its effectiveness as a therapeutic and regulation tool.
• Conducted real-world research at key mental health exhibitions, gathering direct feedback from decision-makers, therapists, and service users.
• Analysed feedback from past mental health sensory room installations to identify challenges and refine the Senso Cube’s features.

Creative Activity (Lead Developer & Manufacturer)

As a leader in sensory room innovation, Creative Activity has spearheaded the development of the Senso Cube, drawing on years of experience in designing sensory solutions for healthcare, education, and high-volume community spaces. The entire Sensory Team at Creative Activity, under the expert direction of Ricky McMullan and Kieran McMullan, has played a vital role in shaping the functionality, design, and adaptability of the Senso Cube.

In-house Pscyhologists & Clinicians 

This has provided critical insights into the psychological and therapeutic impact of sensory environments in mental health settings. their expertise has ensured that the Senso Cube is not only safe and practical but also evidence-based and effective in supporting emotional regulation, de-escalation, and sensory therapy.

Occupational Therapists & Mental Health Professionals (Design in Mental Health 2024)

A core part of this project involved direct engagement with occupational therapists, mental health clinicians, and sensory integration specialists at the Design in Mental Health 2024 exhibition. During this event, we gathered invaluable first-hand feedback from professionals actively working in mental health settings, who advised on:

• Anti-ligature design considerations to ensure patient safety in high-risk environments.
•  Therapeutic sensory interventions to promote relaxation, self-regulation, and emotional well-being.
•  The need for modular and portable sensory spaces that can be easily implemented in mental health facilities.

This real-world feedback and professional consultation have been fundamental in shaping the final design of the Senso Cube, ensuring that it meets the specific needs of mental health environments.

Educational Practitioners (User Testing & Feedback)

Although the Senso Cube has not yet been introduced to the mental health market, it has been successfully tested in educational settings, providing valuable real-world feedback on its effectiveness, accessibility, and impact. Schools such as Sandelford Special School and another London-based school West Thurrock Academy have implemented the Senso Cube in their sensory programs, offering key insights into its practical application

Key Outcomes:

• Students in education settings reported feeling calmer and more focused after using the Senso Cube.
• Therapists found it to be an effective tool for de-escalation, reducing overstimulation and anxiety.
• The feedback directly influenced improvements, such as enhanced soundproofing, adjustable lighting, and sensory interaction.

Now, we are adapting these insights for mental health services, ensuring that the Senso Cube meets the unique safety, accessibility, and therapeutic requirements of clinical environments.

The Impact:

• Ensured anti-ligature adaptability, making the unit suitable for psychiatric settings.
• Enhanced safety features based on clinician recommendations, ensuring controlled, therapeutic sensory stimulation.
• Tailored sensory options to address emotional regulation and trauma-informed care needs in mental health settings.

Our research-driven, collaborative approach has resulted in a modular sensory unit that directly meets the demands of today’s mental health services.

Testimonials:

The Senso Cube provides a safe haven where pupils can regulate their sensory and emotional needs, enabling them to return to the classroom ready to learn. It also provides a learning space for pupils who learn best in this nurturing environment. It is accessible to our wheelchair users and what we are so proud of, it allows our PMLD users to make use of the space too. With the sensory space, they now have a place to retreat to when needed, where they can engage in calming activities tailored to their sensory preferences. The space can lead to reduced anxiety and encourage positive school experiences. 

Our investment in the Senso Cube has been crucial to ensuring accessible sensory and therapeutic input in the immediate area where it is needed. The future flexibility of being able to move and place the Senso Cube, means we as a school will be able to meet the needs of the learners who need it most and perhaps cannot avail of other school areas. The Senso Cube has allowed us to have equitable provision in areas of the school where it may not have been previously possible.
— Principal, Sandelford School

From the first moment we saw the Senso Cube, we knew that it could make a huge difference for the ever increasing number of children with sensory needs attending our school. Like many schools, our budget is tight. However, the investment we put into the Cube has already paid off. It has provided the school with the ability to better meet the needs of not just children with complex needs but also those who can access a mainstream classroom as long as their sensory needs are met. Children, staff and families love the space. It has been amazing to see how a relatively small space can provide so many children with what they need. The Senso Cube has even been used to support children who do not have sensory needs. Small groups of children have used it to have an immersive experience, enhancing their writing sessions. If you can purchase one, I strongly encourage you to do so - you will not regret it.
— Sam Proctor, West Thurrock Academy London