Purpose Facilitation of genuine occupational engagement rather than a more superficial level of participation that has minimal therapeutic benefit is a challenge within secure mental health settings. The purpose of this paper is to develop, pilot and evaluate therapeutic tools based on a framework of occupational engagement. Design/methodology/approach The study used action research with occupational therapists from two secure residential units. Focus group discussions gathered participants’ views of how the occupational engagement framework could be used to inform a therapeutic tool. Following the development and piloting of the subsequent tools, focus groups were again used to review their usefulness in practice. Discussions were audio recorded and thematically analysed. Findings Three tools were designed and piloted. Evaluation revealed a number of benefits and different ways in which the tools could be used in practice. Research limitations/implications This research has indicated that the occupational engagement framework has potential for increasing understanding of the relationship between the value and consequences of participating in occupations. The limited timescale of the research restricted the opportunity to fully explore the tools’ potential effectiveness as outcome measures. Practical implications The clinical tools developed within this research have provided some information to the clinical teams which has contributed to their understanding of how service users experience participating in occupations. Originality/value The occupational engagement framework and resulting tools have the potential to enhance understanding of occupational engagement within secure settings.