Martin Whitfield MSP and Douglas Alexander MP have visited local mental health service The Haven, at its new location in Haddington.

Run by the Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity, the pilot wellbeing and resilience service came about following growing evidence of a mental health crisis among young people led to the charity launching its No Time to Wait campaign.

The Haven is designed to complement CAMHS and to help prevent problems escalating to the point where professional intervention is needed. The pressure on CAMHS, and its need to tackle the most serious mental health concerns first, means that children with those issues are often left for a long time without intervention, which can result in an escalation to more serious mental health concerns.

The Haven started at the Fraser Centre in September 2023, initially for families in the Tranent area. Following its move to Haddington last year, it is now open to families living within the catchment areas of Ross High School and Knox Academy and/or those registered with Tranent Medical Practice or the medical practices at Newton Port Surgery, Haddington.

Since it opened, 2,412 children, young people and families have visited The Haven, with 375 unique visitors. there were 1,264 visits. Over 85% of attendees presented with anxiety, while nearly two-thirds (64.4%) presented with depression or low mood. Other challenges include self-harm, suicidal ideation and eating disorders.

Mr Whitfield and Mr Alexander met with staff and service users and were given an update on the impact the service has had during its first full year of operation.

Douglas Alexander MP said:

“I welcomed the opportunity to visit The Haven for the first in its new home and find out more about the important help and support it has been providing for local young people experiencing mental health difficulties and their families.

“It’s very clear that as well as having a positive impact on the lives of the young people it is supporting, the service is also helping alleviate the significant pressures facing CAMHS services. Given its evident success, I hope The Haven model can be rolled out elsewhere in Scotland as Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity is urging.”

Martin Whitfield MSP said:

“Looking at the impact of its first year in operation, there can be no doubt that The Haven pilot has been a resounding success. By ensuring families and young people avoid having to undergo long waits for support, the service is helping to solve problems before they get out of hand and making a real difference to their wellbeing in the long term.

“Having proved how well this early intervention model can work here in East Lothian, I will continue to urge the Scottish Government to take on board the benefits and find a way to support the model across Scotland.”

Roslyn Neely, CEO of Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity said:

“We are incredibly proud of the success of The Haven, our pilot project dedicated to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of local children, young people, and families. Since its launch, The Haven has provided invaluable support and demonstrated a significant positive impact, with thousands of visits to the service in the first year and a half. 

“It is our belief that every child in every community should have access to a Haven, and we are hugely grateful to our local politicians for supporting our work.”