(Content warning: Hospitalisation, self harm)

*Name changed by request

I was told about the South West Hampshire Safe Haven in Eastleigh several months ago whilst in hospital as it was written into my discharge plan. I wasn’t sure if I would ever access the service but went along with this to get discharged. I had been an inpatient for 4.5 years so the notion of managing without the safety of the ward was terrifying.

Within a few weeks of being in the community, I visited the Safe Haven with my Mum and member of the Crisis Team to familiarise myself with the service. The staff were really welcoming, they showed me around and made me a cup of tea. Initially I was very anxious, but this quickly eased to the point I could imagine myself accessing the service in future. Such a time arose sooner than expected.

One evening about two weeks later something happened that left me really distressed and experiencing urges to harm myself. I remembered the Safe Haven. Once again, I was greeted with warmth and kindness, without any negative judgement of what I was experiencing.

The NHS Crisis Services team often provide a standard response that is invalidating, such as ‘go have a bath’. I feel the Safe Haven team provide a much more personalised approach, and that the conversations were a lot more natural and balanced, as the workers shared aspects of their own mental health journey, which made me feel more normal and self-accepting.

Their peer experience meant the relationship felt less hierarchical and less clinical than the support I received from my mental health team. When I started to become distressed, they gave me a fidget box and we started talking about lighter, non mental-health-related subjects.

I valued being able to meet face to face as I can struggle communicating over the phone. This has proved a challenge in the past and has been a barrier to me accessing or benefiting from the NHS’ out of hours service.

The Safe Haven had a homely, soothing feel about it. It was helpful to change my current environment associated with the distress for somewhere that felt safe. If it hadn’t been for the Safe Haven, my situation probably would have escalated to the point of acting upon my destructive thoughts.

The Safe Haven team were there for me in my time of need and I’m incredibly grateful. It has made the difficult transition from hospital to community a little bit more manageable. I’d encourage anyone struggling to give it a chance to see how it goes.

It’s such an amazing service – I worry about what happens when the funding comes to an end because it would leave a big gap.