A Safe Haven
The Haven is a Glasgow-based charity offering free information and emotional support to people affected by life limiting illness such as cancer, MS and motor neurone disease. They also support family members and carers.
Their aim is to improve clients’ ability to understand and manage the complex emotional, physical and practical effects of illness. They offer a drop-in service with access to a specialist nurse, complementary therapies, counselling, peer support groups, informal support from volunteers and children’s play therapy. The service has five staff members, 15 sessional therapists and 50 volunteers.
The Haven is one of the few organisations of this kind dealing with illnesses other than cancer. Since their launch in 2001 they have had many MS clients because there is little support for MS elsewhere in the area. They accept self-referred patients, although many patients are also referred by the primary care sector. Because the Haven isn't a statutory service they can be responsive and act quickly. Importantly, they continue to offer support to families if their loved one dies, which means that no-one is suddenly excluded from the Haven's services.
One user with MS comments 'going to The Haven is more like going to see friends rather than using a service. I don’t have to talk about my condition if I don’t want to, but there are lots of opportunities and support to talk about my feelings when I do. '
Volunteers have helped to develop the three strands of the service, which gives it credibility in the local community. Some patients who have recovered return to the Haven to work as volunteers, bringing the knowledge they acquired when ill to their care for others.
