The night Tamara first walked through the doors of Hope Haven, a new community mental health hub in the heart of Whitehaven, she was afraid. I didn’t know how to stop it from hurting.” The 22-year-old, who works in children’s transport, had been in and out of therapy and counselling since she was 14, after being abused by an acquaintance as a child. After a lengthy legal process her abuser was sentenced, but the “mental challenge” of dealing with what had happened to her was not over.
That night was a turning point: Tamara was seen immediately by a member of staff and offered an appointment for the next day. She believes that if she hadn’t been offered help at Hope Haven, she would still be at “rock bottom”. Hope Haven is part of a pilot scheme of six hubs across England.
It offers preventive, open-access care 24/7, meaning people do not need a diagnosis or referral to access its services. Its alternative approach reflects concerns that more traditional NHS services have struggled to improve local wellbeing. In its first five months from March to July, about 3,000 people accessed support either digitally or in person.
Nearly half of them had never been in contact with NHS mental health services before. Admissions to inpatient mental health wards in the area fell by 24% between January and September compared with the same period last year. The five other pilot centres, which are part of NHS England’s 10-year health plan, are in Lewisham and Tower Hamlets in London, Birmingham, York and Sheffield.
After Andy Burnham’s announcement of £343m towards “the biggest redesign of mental health services in a generation” this summer, 100 more are due to open gradually, starting this autumn, with an evaluation of the pilot centres later this year. The hubs build on the Trieste model of mental health care, a 24-hour holistic approach which started in 1980s Italy. They offer more than just mental health support, hosting several local services under one roof, from exercise classes to financial advice and housing support.
They also house several short-stay beds, allowing teams to offer overnight support. Hope Haven is in the centre of coastal Whitehaven, a pretty but quiet and isolated town in the far north-west of England. Nearby, several shops have closed down and sit empty; the market opposite the hub boasts a single stall.
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