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'Pick and mix': supporting carers to have a break
- Author:
- THOMPSON Alison
- Journal article citation:
- Community Connecting, 22, September 2009, pp.14-15.
- Publisher:
- Community Connecting
The short break services provided by Heritage Care to help both people with learning disabilities and their carers is presented. The article explains how the introduction of personal budgets (including Individualised Service Funds) has enabled the organisation to develop more customised and flexible services. The organisation provides both residential and outreach services.
Social care and mental health indicators from the national indicator set: further analysis 2008-09
- Author:
- NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE. Information Centre for Health and Social Care
- Publisher:
- National Health Service. Information Centre for Health and Social Care
- Publication year:
- 2009
- Pagination:
- 51p., tables
- Place of publication:
- Leeds
The set of national indicators (NIs) for English local authorities and partnerships underpins the new performance framework for local government and introduces a clear set of national outcomes with a single set of national indicators by which to measure them. The first official year for these indicators is 2008-09 which also form part of the vital signs set for Primary Care Trusts. The social care information presented is an update of the social care data published on the 13th August 2009 (Social Care indicators from the National Indicator Set, Provisional, England 2008-09). The report provides figures for the following indicators: achieving independence for older people through rehabilitation/intermediate care (NI125); timeliness of social care assessment (NI132); timeliness of social care packages (NI133); number of carers receiving services (NI135); adults with learning disabilities in settled accommodation (NI145) and in paid employment (NI146); adults in contact with secondary mental health services in settled accommodation (NI149) and in paid employment (NI150).
Pilots aim high for short break success
- Author:
- PARSONS Emma
- Journal article citation:
- Community Care, 26.3.09, 2009, pp.22-23.
- Publisher:
- Reed Business Information
Describes how Derbyshire Council and Gloucestershire Council used government funding to improve their short breaks services for disabled children and their families.
Ethnic variation in service utilisation among children with intellectual disability
- Authors:
- DURA-VILA G., HODES M.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 53(11), November 2009, pp.939-948.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
The aims of this study were to investigate possible ethnic variation in uptake across child and adolescent mental health and social services as well as any variation there might be in physical and educational services. A survey, carried out in four special schools in London, collected information from teachers using case files; 242 children aged 7 to 17 years with mild and moderate ID were identified. Child and adolescent mental health services uptake was lower for South Asians than for White British. There were statistically significant differences among ethnic groups for community-based social services uptake (being the highest for the Black groups and the lowest for South Asians), and respite care uptake (being the highest for the Black and White European groups and the lowest for South Asians). In regression analysis family structure predicted CAMHS service utilisation and social service community support. Ethnicity predicted use of respite care. As hypothesised, there were significant ethnic differences in service use with particularly low use by South Asians. However it is suggested that these differences might arise because of differences in family organisation. More South Asian children lived in two-parent families, which may be better able to provide care than single-parent families. Other factors such as variation in parental belief systems and variation in psychopathology are also discussed.
Disabled children's access to childcare (DCATCH) pilot activity: information for local authorities
- Author:
- GREAT BRITAIN. Department for Children, Schools and Families
- Publisher:
- Great Britain. Department for Children, Schools and Families
- Publication year:
- 2009
- Pagination:
- 35p.
- Place of publication:
- London
This report provides early information about DCATCH pilot activity. DCATCH is investigating ways of achieving better access to childcare for disabled children and young people in 10 pilot areas of England. It was made possible by funding of £35 million from the Aiming High for Disabled Children (AHDC) program. Work began in September 2008 and is likely to run to 2011. Different activities are in place in the different pilot areas, but all aim to identify and address gaps in local provision in partnership with families and to explore ways to increase the quality and range of childcare available. Improvement of data collection is important and DCATCH is piloting the Benchmarking and Planning tool to establish baseline measure for quantitative and qualitative data relating to childcare arrangements for the families of disabled children and to track service improvements over time. Other DCATCH activities include consulting with families to identify gaps in childcare services and to establish local priority actions, improving information provided to families and supporting families to make choices. DCATCH is also investigating affordability and cost of childcare, workforce development of childcare providers, and increasing capacity, inclusion and improving quality of childcare.
Short breaks tracking: interim report April 2009
- Author:
- EVERY DISABLED CHILD MATTERS
- Publisher:
- Every Disabled Child Matters
- Publication year:
- 2009
- Pagination:
- 20p.
- Place of publication:
- London
An interim report on a research project evaluating the impact of the Aiming High for Disabled Children short breaks programme on the lives of disabled children and their families. It covers: aims of the project; state of short breaks services in 2008; short breaks tracking 2008-9; information and transparency; assessment; participation and feedback. Findings indicate that evidence of good practice is emerging but there is still a long way to go before a consistent, sustainable service is available for all disabled children.
How is taking care of caregivers of children with disabilities related to academic achievement?
- Authors:
- BARNARD-BRAK Lucy, THOMSON David
- Journal article citation:
- Child and Youth Care Forum, 38(2), April 2009, pp.91-102.
- Publisher:
- Springer
Respite care services have been linked to variety of positive outcomes for caregivers and families alike. The purpose of the current study was to examine the association of receiving respite care with academic achievement for children with disabilities across time. The study employed a nationally representative sample of children to examine this relationship using structural models. Results indicate a positive association between receiving respite care services and academic achievement across time for children with disabilities. In an era of high-stakes achievement testing, these results link respite care services to those academic achievement outcomes while complementing previous research.
'Jumping through hoops': parents' experiences with seeking respite care for children with special needs
- Authors:
- DOIG J. L., McLENNAN J. D., URICHUK L.
- Journal article citation:
- Child: Care, Health and Development, 35(2), March 2009, pp.234-242.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Respite care may act as a means to reduce stress and fatigue in people caring for a dependent who has a disability. Despite this, a variety of barriers may exist to obtaining such services. This study explored caregivers' experiences seeking respite care for their children with special needs within a province in Canada. Caregivers were recruited from two agencies providing respite care for children with foetal alcohol spectrum disorders and other mental health and developmental difficulties. In total, 10 caregivers participated in in-depth individual interviews. A constructivist grounded theory approach was employed in the design and analysis of the data. Caregivers discussed their frustrations with the process of finding and obtaining respite care, a course of action described as 'jumping through hoops'. This construct was composed of subcategories emphasizing the complexity of 'navigating the system', the bidirectional process of 'meeting the requirements' and the challenges of 'getting help'. The collective experiences of these caregivers point to the need for more flexibility and co-ordination of respite care services for children with special needs.
'It's the system working for the system': carers' experiences of learning disability services in Ireland
- Author:
- POWER Andrew
- Journal article citation:
- Health and Social Care in the Community, 17(1), February 2009, pp.92-98.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
The aim of this article is to examine the experiences of families with young adults with learning disabilities trying to access services. The landscape of disability services for this group is made up of day care, special vocational training and respite places. It aims to identify the extent of an implementation gap between government rhetoric and the degree to which services are characterised as being non-supportive interactions on the ground. Using Ireland as a case study, during a time when the economy is booming and government rhetoric claims unparalleled developments in allocating resources and extra respite 'places', this article identifies the main challenges faced by family carers associated with accessing appropriate services for their disabled adult child, in their attempt to achieve greater independence. This article reports the findings of a qualitative study in which individual semi structured interviews were held with family carers (n = 25) and representatives from national carer organisations (n = 6) in Ireland. These were people caring for an adult (18–30 years) with a learning disability and their experiences were also useful in cross-checking the carer organisation interviews. The findings show that there is limited flexibility, choice and availability in meeting the preferences of the service-users, and throughout the study, services were characterised as being non-supportive interactions. This is not simply symptomatic of a lack of resources. Despite improved funding, supportive attitudes and flexibility are still crucial in meeting user requirements at the level of delivery; thus highlighting that often the system works for the system, not for the user.