Before joining the online waiting room
Welcome to the North and Mid-Hampshire Safe Haven online service.
To ensure we can provide you with the best support during your time of crisis, please take a moment to read our guidelines before accessing the service.
Sessions are up to 1 hour for new users and 30 minutes for return visits.
We ask that you respect our rules: no phone calls, no recording, and no self-harm during sessions.
Your confidentiality is important, but we may need to share information for safety reasons.
Please be patient if there’s a wait, and remember, abusive behavior will not be tolerated.
What to expect from the Safe Haven:
You must be aged over 18 years to Access the North and mid-Hampshire Safe Haven
- A member of staff will greet you and introduce themselves and ask you some details/information to identify how we can support you.
- The Safe Haven provides practical and therapeutic support ‘in-the-moment’ for an emotional or mental health crisis. Staff members can listen, discuss, advise, safety plan, signpost. However, the Safe Haven does not provide counselling, therapy or long term support.
- Staff can offer support up to an hour on your first time using the service, if this is assessed to be required.
- Returning service users are offered up to a 30 minute session but again this time frame is variable depending on presentation.
- The latest we take a call virtually is 9.30pm This will give you a half session due to our closing time of 10pm.
- We will close promptly at 10pm so staff will make you aware you are coming to the end of the session
- Service users accessing the NMH Safe Haven who require support on a regular basis may have a Time Frame Plan or Safety Plan on accessibility to the Safe Haven put into place. (For those that are accessing the service more than 3 times a week.) This is assessed on an individual basis and you will be involved in this process and receive a written copy. This is to enable staff to meet the demands of the service and your appropriate ongoing long term support.
- There may be occasions when we are busy and we are unable to take your call immediately and you may have to wait .
- At an appropriate time you will be asked to share personal information so we can keep a record of your session. This helps us support you in making potential referrals, signposting and supporting you again in the future if required.
- Confidentiality of personal information will be maintained and respected as far as possible within the constraints of legal requirements and the safety of other people.
Confidentiality and disclosure
- People using the service should note we keep paper and electronic records which will be confidential and maintained by us in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998. Your personal data will be treated with the strictest confidence and discretion.
- Please beware that we work in partnership with Southern Health and your NHS Number may be shared with them. This enables them to complete a data study on how effective our service is in prevention of using emergency services. Personal and confidential information regarding your time at the Safe Haven is not shared for this data collection.
- If there is a heightened risk and the Safe Haven staff feel the Crisis Team may be a suitable option to help then we will discuss this with you. It is only in extreme circumstances that the Safe Haven team would discuss it and then contact the Crisis team without your consent.
- If you pose a heightened risk to yourself or others, under our duty of care, we would have to escalate it to the most relevant emergency service. This is an absolute last resort.
What we expect from people using the service:
- We do not offer support to anyone who appears or declares to be under the influence during the session
- That people do not receive or make phone calls while receiving support.
- That there is no recording of the session in any form
- For no-one to self-harm during the session
- To be patient if Safe Haven staff cannot speak with you straight away, there may be times that you have to wait.
- No verbal or physical abuse of any kind will be tolerated
If these expectations are breached then we may have to terminate the call
