Medics against Violence, a charity founded and led by senior clinicians, are partnering with NHS Lothian and Edinburgh and Lothians Health Foundation to deliver Youth Navigator, a Youth work based community outreach service which will be based in the Acute Receiving Unit at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and St John’s Hospital, Livingston.
Youth Navigator aims to support young people through a joined-up hospital and community youth work approach with some of the life challenges they face that can bring them into contact with health services.
Presentation to hospital at a time of crisis is known to be a ‘reachable moment’. This is when people are more open to accepting support. The Youth Navigator will work alongside the medical and nursing staff to make sure that those important opportunities are not missed.
Dr Christine Goodall, Director of Medics against Violence said: “We are really looking forward to being able to offer the Navigator service to younger people.
“We will also have the opportunity, with the adult and youth Navigator services co-located in Lothian, to offer holistic support to the whole family should they need it.”
Tam Begbie National Co-Ordinator for the Navigator service said: “Starting up a Youth Navigator service just makes sense to us, we’ve seen many people within the adult service who would really have benefitted from this had it been available to them when they were younger.
“We hope it will give the young people who are supported by the service the connections and tools for a happier and healthier future.”
Sanjay Singh, Head of Funding Programmes at Edinburgh and Lothians Health Foundation, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with NHS Lothian and Medics against Violence to provide match funding for this innovative programme.
“Having the Youth Navigator service available at such a critical point will really benefit vulnerable young people, particularly during these times of increased stress and anxiety.”
Dr Alison McLuckie, Lead Clinician for Youth Navigator in NHS Lothian said: “We are really excited to be able to offer this new service to our adolescent patients which will build on the success of the adult Navigator service and be based around the ethos of one trusted adult and community based outreach to provide the right care at the right time.”