Our Safe Haven Project works with young people who are refugees and those who have been affected by trauma in their home country and in their journey to the UK. By offering one-to-one support as well as therapeutic group support, we seek to:

• help children and parents to develop friendships with people from other communities.
• develop levels of safety and trust with the children;
• promote mental health, encourage integration and help men affected by trauma to settle into their new community;
• help the children to develop a sense of control over their lives;
• help parents to understand the effect of acute trauma on their children and support them to assist their children;
• support children and parents to access mainstream community groups and sports clubs

In other words, we want to help families rebuild their lives and to develop a sense of stability, safety and trust so that they start to feel they can belong to their new community.

All families receive an in-depth assessment of need and risk, which will involve weekly family visits, discussions with school staff and City of Edinburgh Refugee and Migration team workers. Depending on the outcome of the assessment, we will offer a flexible service to address the most pressing needs within the family. This will include direct work with the children either within playrooms at our centre or within designated spaces within school settings.

In June 2018 the Safe Haven project was joint winner for the Scottish Social Services Award category ‘Excellence in Children’s Service’. You can view the film made for this award here.

“I am happy because I love going to school and I love my school.”

Syrian Child involved in Safe Haven

Need Support?

To Refer into our Safe Haven service, call 0131 467 7052. For general inquiries or more information, email [email protected]

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