On Thursday 25th August 2022, we were honoured to welcome Clare Haughey MSP, Minister for Children and Young People to explore our children’s houses offering close, therapeutic support.
The visit is part of a wider exploration of Scottish care providers that offer an alternative to secure care, or step-down provision, for young people who require close care and support due to complex mental health and self-harm behaviours.
As part of the visit, the Minister was welcomed by David Nairn, Chair of the Board and our Chief Executive, Jim Gillespie to find out more about Kibble’s services before visiting children’s house Bute. Here, she was met by an enthusiastic young boy who showed Ms Haughey around the house and spoke of his footballing dreams and recent sailing adventure.
Bute has been designed to create an environment which offers the opportunity for a gradual and supportive transition for young people moving on from more secure settings such as a Safe Centre and acts as an alternative to community mental health provisions. It provides high levels of support and therapeutic care for young people with complex mental health needs, which are diagnosed, emerging or suspected, and those with significant risk to themself through suicidal and self-harming behaviours.
The house offers a safe and supportive space, which is therapeutic in design, yet youthful to reflect the tastes of young people that live there. Everything from the colours of the rooms to the soft furnishings and general everyday rhythms and routines have been carefully considered to promote safety, structure and routine.
The staff at Bute are highly experienced and skilled individuals with knowledge and training in neuro-developmental disorders and work in partnership with an integrated health and specialist intervention services teams, which includes Forensic Psychologists and Specialist Looked After Children’s Nurses, as well as qualified therapists across a range of disciplines including cognitive behavioural therapy, art and play therapy, counselling and family therapy.
Jim Gillespie, Chief Executive Officer said: “Each of the young people that we provide care for have individual needs and our care provision needs to mirror that. It is imperative that we continue to evolve our services to ensure that we have the care setting required for each of our young people so that we are able to support them within a setting which is safe and therapeutic.
“It was a pleasure to give the Minister for Children and Young People a tour around both Bute and Mossway, demonstrating the careful planning and execution involved in delivering both houses and caring for the young people who reside in each.”
Children’s Minister, Clare Haughey said: “It is vital that children and young people with complex needs get the support they need. I’d like to thank the staff at Kibble that have worked so hard throughout the pandemic in challenging conditions to maintain the support for children and young people in their care.
“We’re determined and committed to fulfilling The Promise by 2030, and this includes exploring new approaches to secure care in Scotland.”