Child mental health pilot hailed as transformational
A pilot service set up in East Lothian to tackle the “mental health crisis” facing Scotland’s children and young people has recorded almost 1300 visits in its first six months.
Developed by Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity (ECHC), The Haven wellbeing and resilience service was launched at the Fraser Centre in Tranent as part of the charity’s No Time To Wait strategy.
As the first centre of its kind, The Haven aims to support families with children struggling with their mental health and prevent problems escalating to the point where professional intervention is needed.
It is open for three afternoons a week and has already attracted 1264 visits, offering support on a range of issues including anxiety, depression, self-harming, challenges with education and school attendance, and eating disorders.
Roslyn Neely, CEO of ECHC said: “Children and young people in Scotland are in the midst of a mental health crisis which doesn’t just impact the child, but the whole family who feel they have nowhere to turn.
“We are staggered by the number of people we have been able to support through The Haven and the impact the service has had on young people and their families. It really does have the potential to be transformational.
“We truly believe there is no time to wait. Allowing the mental health crisis to escalate just wasn’t an option.”
The service was developed in response to ECHC’s research which found that over half (59 per cent) of Scottish families have a child who has experienced a mental health concern.
It is hoped the service will be available to all children struggling with their mental health and their families across Scotland.
It is already open to any child or young person with a mental health concern and any member of their family, including parents, carers, siblings and grandparents.
It offers support in a relaxed and informal setting and provides interventions including family support groups.
Roslyn Neely added: “While we are humbled by the results of the first six months, this is just one pilot service in one small town. We want to see a Haven available for every child who needs it, in every community.”
The Haven is being piloted in Tranent for two years to ascertain the scale of demand. It is modelled on the charity’s existing Hospital Hub, which delivers very similar interventions to children and families visiting Edinburgh’s Royal Hospital for Children and Young People (RHCYP).
Where successful, the service could negate a family’s need for future medical support, alleviating pressures on Scotland’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
Fiona O’Sullivan, Director of Children’s Wellbeing at ECHC, said: “The Haven exists to support the whole family; the child, the parent, the grandparent, the auntie, the carer, whomever is closest to the child in need.
“Without any medical intervention we have provided young people and their families coping mechanisms to deal with issues, and crucially, we are seeing positive results.”
www.echcharity.org/the-haven