Published on: 16 December 2024
On TV, the Christmas holidays are a time of happy families, delicious food and great presents. But for many people, the festive season is a difficult time – last year, the Samaritans received an estimated 14,500 calls to its helpline on Christmas Day alone.
People who might find the festive period a struggle are being reminded by a local NHS Trust that mental health support is available.
Local organisations including Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust recognise the importance of mental health to support our overall health and wellbeing, and are providing more services than ever to meet people’s needs.
They include the Derby Safe Haven, which is run by Waythrough (formerly Richmond Fellowship) and is open from 4:30pm to 12:30am, 365 days a year.
Chesterfield Safe Haven is run by the charity P3 and also provides support from 4:30pm to 12:30am every day.
Marc, who has used the Safe Haven service twice after experiencing a mental health crisis, said: “I would definitely recommend the Safe Haven.”
The Safe Haven is a place where people aged 18 or over can get support when they feel overwhelmed or unable to cope. It offers a compassionate and non-judgmental space with therapeutic support around ongoing safety and wellbeing, next steps in recovery and help with building a sense of hope for the future.
Marc said: “I was referred by the Derbyshire mental health support line.
“I felt calm pretty much instantly. The young lady who welcomed me was calm, friendly, reassuring.
“I needed face to face help but I didn’t want to go to A&E. After about an hour and half I was ready to go home. I felt like I had decompressed.
“Once I Ieft the Safe Haven I went home, I took my medication as advised by the staff and I went to sleep.
“It was as simple as that.”
The team of support workers at the Safe Havens in Derby and Chesterfield are trained to listen to people to understand what is causing their mental health crisis and to find ways to bring the person out of their crisis.
Lucy, manager of Derby’s Safe Haven, said: “If you feel like you are not safe, at home or out there in the public, come to us and we can make a safety plan and walk you through the steps of how to keep yourself safe.
“It is such a therapeutic and calming environment here. We use calming colours, smells and it’s very quiet here – just being in this different environment just helps bring you out of where you are at that moment.”
The teams at the Safe Haven are not clinicians, but they help visitors to come out of their crisis and to plan for the future – focusing on the positives in a person’s life as well as the basics of sleep, eating, drinking and having a daily plan.
Lucy added: “Quite often we’ll see a guest come through the door and it looks like their whole world is over – and by the time they leave they are smiling, joking, laughing and really looking forward to the future.
“We focus on what is right here, what can we build on, and letting people know they are amazing humans who have something to offer in this world – empowering them – it’s beautiful to watch.”
Everyone experiences ups and downs at some point but poor mental health is not something that should be experienced alone. There are lots of self-help tips and advice on the NHS’s Every Mind Matters website. And there are also lots of ways to reach out in Derby and Derbyshire if you need someone to talk to – including drop-in centres, safe havens open every night of the week, and a 24/7 local helpline – and these are described in more detail below.
Services to support people with a mental health crisis include:
- Derby Safe Haven - call 0330 0083722 or drop in at 309 Burton Road, Derby, DE23 6AG (4:30pm to 12:30am)
- Chesterfield Safe Haven – call 01246 949410 or drop in 188 North Wingfield Road, Grassmoor, Chesterfield, S42 5EJ (4:30pm to 12:30am)
- Drop in services at Buxton, Ripley and Swadlincote – which are available on Friday evenings and at weekends and are run by Derbyshire Mind
- Derbyshire Mental Health Helpline and Support Service – available 24 hours a day on 0800 028 0077, or by dialling NHS 111 and choosing “mental health”.
More information about these and other services can be found on the Derby and Derbyshire emotional health and wellbeing website: https://derbyandderbyshireemotionalhealthandwellbeing.uk/adult/getting-help-in-a-crisis
They are also listed on the Derbyshire Healthcare NHS website: https://www.derbyshirehealthcareft.nhs.uk/getting-help/help-mental-health-crisis.
