Maureen Watt, MSP heard from the future of the country’s mental health care programme for under 26-year-olds as she visited Kibble this week. The Minister for Mental Health spent the morning hearing from staff and residents at the Paisley campus.
One of the Scottish Government’s themes for the Year of the Young People is Health and Wellbeing with the aim that youngsters understand the importance of mental health and resilience.
Kibble has committed to a range of activity over the course of the year to support the Minister’s strategy, while giving a voice to young people and reducing stigmas around mental health.
Projects include partnerships with the NHS and LA to support early identification of mental health issues as well as work with Who Cares? Scotland to ensure all young people are aware of their rights.
The Minister learned more about each of the care provider’s initiatives during her tour of the premises, which included a visit to the Safe Centre where young people, some with mental health issues, receive individual treatment plans enhanced by new and innovative interventions.
The care provider, which is supported by its Specialist Intervention Services (SIS) team to provide psychological and therapeutic input, works with children and families from the age of five across a range of residential and day placement services.
Jim Gillespie, Chief Executive at Kibble, said: “It was an honour to welcome the Minister to our site and shine a light on the work that is done day to day in support of mental health.
“We are working with numerous partners in aid of the wellbeing of under 26-year olds, from early intervention at a young age and throughout the years into adulthood.
“Our Safe Centre is an instrumental part of giving young people the care in which they need, with the support from the Minister a tremendous helpful in continuing to develop the services we offer.
“During the Year of the Young People it is vital that we are taking the steps to ensure that each and every child has readily available help, feels comfortable enough to ask for support and has a platform to speak and be heard.”
Mental Health Minister Maureen Watt said: “The Year of Young People 2018 is about giving young people a stronger voice. We have been told very clearly that they want greater attention given to mental health and wellbeing, and I am delighted to see how staff at Kibble are also adopting this kind of approach.
“More and more people are recognising the importance of caring for our mental health as we would our physical health, and we want everyone to have access to the support they need. Focusing on prevention and early intervention is a key part of that, and I look forward to hearing how Kibble’s work will help people to manage their own mental wellbeing.”