"The Haven is a place of emotional and spiritual calm; a healing sanctuary for the body, mind and soul. The Haven, its staff and volunteers all contribute to make it these things and more. They are listeners, guides, helpers and friends"

Support for families and carers affected by life limiting conditions

Haven Services

Haven Nurses
Haven nurses are able to provide information and support on all aspects of your illness and treatment, from initial diagnosis, to symptom management right through to bereavement support. The first step would be to have a one to one consultation with your Haven nurse at your local centre

Together you would then work to identify your needs, establishing what’s important to you now, identify and build on existing strengths and agreeing positive next steps.

Support is provided to individuals, their families and carers.

Resources
An extensive range of free information booklets are available in all centres, as well as a lending library of books, CD’s and DVD’s. These can be accessed by signing them out and using them to support you in your own time. A Haven nurse can help you identify what may helpful, or a volunteer can help you sign your item out for use.

Sign Posting
Sign posting is key to helping support clients access what services are right for them. The Haven will, where identified refer or signpostto other services which may be of assistance e.g. Health services, social work, financial advice and community support.

Complementary Therapies and Therapists

Complementary therapies are offered to Haven clients to relieve stress, promote relaxation, ease tension and reduce anxiety. A dedicated team of professionally qualified therapist provide a range of therapies including Aromatherapy, Reiki, Reflexology, Yoga and Indian Head Massage.

Download Therapies PDF

Counselling
Is provided by professionally qualified practitioners, to support clients to develop positive coping strategies. Bereavement counselling for families is also offered.

Download Counselling PDF

Lymphoedema self-management support
We offer a unique programme of self-management courses, originally developed at The Haven. Our aim is to support clients to increase their knowledge and confidence to self-manage their lymphoedema. We also provide individual sessions of self-management support and manual lymph drainage massage.

The self-management courses are delivered at The Haven, and externally, with partner organisations.

For more information go to the lymphoedema page.

Download Lymphoedema Self-Management PDF

Volunteers

Volunteers are at the heart of The Haven and are a very important part of our service. they providing informal support and a friendly, caring 'listening ear'. They are always pleased to welcome you to our comfortable lounge areas where you can relax, have tea and coffee and chat to the volunteers or other visitors. They also offer Peer Support to clients and their families as well as undertaking many other supportive and administration task.

Haven @ Home Volunteer Therapist Befriending Initiative Offers tailored, flexible support to families affected by Dementia in the comfort of their own home. A range of information and emotional support is provided by Haven nurses. Volunteer Befriender Therapists provide short respite breaks at home through a range of complementary therapies, informal support and a friendly, caring 'listening ear' which helps to relieve stress, promote relaxation, ease tension and reduce anxiety.

"This work is supported with funding from the Life Changes Trust. The Trust is funded by the Big Lottery"

Children & Family Services - Blantyre Centre Only

The aim of this service is to support children to feel resilient and strong, understand their own emotions and be confident enough to share the natural feelings of loss when someone they care about is seriously, ill or has died. A combination if individual support and structured group workshops are designed to reduce stress, teach coping strategies, encourage sharing of experiences and enable children to talk about their worries and build peer support towards networks. We also work alongside parents and carers, to provide them with the skills and confidence to manage the effects of illness or bereavement on the children in their care.