# SOFT (TM) Wellbeing Framework for Oncology Teams ### A focused implementation brief for practitioners and cancer care teams --- *Based on the SOFT (TM) Wellbeing Framework* *Sensory Justice - sensoryjustice.co.uk* --- ## Why This Brief Exists An estimated 15-20% of the UK population is neurodivergent - autistic, ADHD, dyspraxic, Tourette's, sensory processing differences, and related conditions. Many more patients have anxiety, PTSD, or sensory sensitivities exacerbated by illness. Your oncology patients are already under extreme stress. Sensory overload compounds that stress, reduces treatment adherence, increases no-shows, and degrades the therapeutic relationship. This brief gives you four practical steps to make your practice accessible without adding significant time or cost. **Disclaimer:** This brief is for information and awareness only. It does not constitute medical advice. Implementation should align with your trust's policies and the Equality Act 2010. --- ## The SOFT (TM) Framework ### S - Stabilise **Calm your patient's nervous system before clinical interaction begins.** A dysregulated patient cannot process information. Every minute spent helping a patient regulate saves five minutes of repetition and misunderstanding later. **What you can do:** - Offer a quiet side room for waiting instead of the main waiting area. Most departments have one. - Dim lighting where possible. Turn off unnecessary overhead fluorescent lights. - Reduce background noise: lower TV volume, close doors, avoid overlapping conversations. - Ask: "Is there anything in this environment that is difficult for you?" - Allow a support person to remain present throughout. - Be aware that patients may not disclose neurodivergence. Treat sensory needs as standard practice, not exception. **Time cost:** 2-3 minutes. **Time saved:** 5-10 minutes in reduced repetition and anxiety-driven questions. --- ### O - Orient **Help patients know where they are and what is happening - before it happens.** Uncertainty is a primary anxiety driver. Patients who do not know the layout, the sequence of events, or what a room looks like arrive already in a state of heightened alert. **What you can do:** - Provide a written step-by-step plan of the appointment before the day (email or post). - Offer a photo of the treatment room. A simple phone photo emailed in advance is sufficient. - Walk through the sequence verbally at the start: "First we will talk, then you will change into a gown, then we will go to the room." - State transitions clearly: "We are going to move to another room now." - Use wayfinding: tell patients where the toilets, water, and quiet spaces are. **Time cost:** 1-2 minutes. **Impact:** Reduced no-shows, lower anxiety, better engagement. --- ### F - Frame **Deliver information in formats that the patient's brain can process.** The NHS default - a long informational video, a dense leaflet, or a rushed verbal explanation during the appointment - is inaccessible for many neurodivergent patients. If a patient did not watch the video or read the leaflet, the format was wrong, not the patient. **What you can do:** - Offer information in short written steps, not a single long video. - Provide information in advance - not in the room, not rushed. - Offer information in stages, not all at once. One topic per consultation where possible. - Face the patient when speaking. Give one question at a time. - Write down key points. Hand the patient a written summary before they leave. - Ask: "How do you prefer to receive information?" - Accept that some patients need audio-only, some need written, some need someone to talk them through it. One format does not serve all. **Time cost:** Minimal. Writing a 5-bullet summary takes 2 minutes. **Impact:** Better adherence, fewer callbacks, reduced complaints. --- ### T - Transition **Manage the cognitive and sensory shifts between stages of care.** Cancer treatment is a series of transitions: referral to diagnosis, diagnosis to treatment planning, treatment to recovery, hospital to home. Each transition is a point where information is lost, anxiety peaks, and patients disengage. **What you can do:** - Build in transition time. Do not move from one topic to another without a clear signal. - Provide a written summary at the end of each appointment: what was discussed, what happens next, key dates. - Offer a follow-up contact method for questions that arise after the appointment (email is often preferred over phone by neurodivergent patients). - Flag transitions in writing: "Your next appointment is [date]. Between now and then, [what to expect]." - Recognise that the journey home is part of the transition. Patients who are sensory-depleted should not be given complex information at the end of a long appointment. **Time cost:** 2-3 minutes per appointment. **Impact:** Fewer missed appointments, better treatment adherence, improved patient satisfaction scores. --- ## Quick Reference: The 60-Second Checklist Before each neurodivergent patient appointment: - [ ] Is there a quiet space available for them to wait? - [ ] Have they received a written plan of what will happen today? - [ ] Do you know how they prefer to receive information? - [ ] Is there a written summary ready to hand them at the end? - [ ] Have you flagged the next transition clearly? --- ## Legal Context Under the Equality Act 2010, healthcare providers have a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, including neurodivergent people. This includes: - Providing information in accessible formats - Allowing extra time for appointments - Providing quiet waiting areas - Adjusting communication style - Allowing a support person Patients do not need a formal diagnosis to request reasonable adjustments. Failing to provide them is discrimination. --- ## The "How to Work With Me" Template Encourage patients to fill in the "How to Work With Me" template before their first appointment. It is a one-page document that covers communication preferences, sensory triggers, and what helps before, during, and after appointments. It is free to download at: **sensoryjustice.co.uk/resources** --- ## Further Resources - **Through Our Eyes Interactive Training** - A free online course taking staff through 7 real clinical scenarios. Available at: **sensoryjustice.co.uk/training** - **See Us Campaign** - Join the call for mandatory sensory awareness training in the NHS: **sensoryjustice.co.uk/see-us** - **Articles** - Read the SOFT (TM) Framework series at: **sensoryjustice.co.uk** --- ## About Sensory Justice Sensory Justice is a campaigning organisation fighting for mandatory sensory awareness training across the NHS. We believe that sensory needs are not preferences - they are access needs. Founder Annette Friar is a neurodivergent cancer survivor who was given an NHS information video before treatment and could not watch it due to sensory overwhelm. Sensory Justice was born from that experience. Visit us at **sensoryjustice.co.uk** Email us at **hello@sensoryjustice.co.uk** --- *(c) 2026 Sensory Justice. This brief is free to use, print, adapt, and share within healthcare teams. Based on the SOFT (TM) Wellbeing Framework.*