A new sensory friendly waiting room has opened at Dorset HealthCare’s child and adolescent mental health services clinic in Poole.
The adapted space at the Shaftesbury Road CAMHS clinic was created following feedback from local children, young people and families. It is designed to support neurodivergent patients, including those with autism, ADHD or sensory processing differences, who can feel anxious or overwhelmed in traditional waiting areas.
Around eighty per cent of CAMHS patients are neurodivergent, and Dorset HealthCare says busy clinical environments can increase anxiety and, in some cases, prevent young people from accessing care at all. The new room aims to reduce sensory overload and create a calm and welcoming place while children wait for appointments.
Neurodevelopmental practitioner Martyna Rokosz said the space would help young people feel calmer and more able to access care. Young neurodivergent peer specialist William Gallini Poole said waiting was often the hardest part and that a room like this could have changed that experience.
The waiting room was opened by Poole MP Neil Duncan Jordan, who said accessibility was key to a modern health service.
During Children’s Mental Health Week, Dorset HealthCare will also share how children and families help shape CAMHS services across Dorset.
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