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A host of opportunities: second NHSN survey of family based short break schemes for children and adults with intellectual and other disabilities in the Republic of Ireland
- Author:
- HANRAHAN Des
- Publisher:
- National Home-sharing and Short Breaks Network
- Publication year:
- 2010
- Pagination:
- 70p., bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- Mullingar
The National Home-Sharing and Short Breaks Network is an association which supports the use, promotion and provision of host family based services for Irish citizens with intellectual disability, physical disability and autism. While the majority of respite services are centre based, the family-based model of providing short breaks to people with disabilities involves recruiting approved individuals, couples and families who agree to provide personalised breaks in their own homes as an alternative to traditional residential respite. In this report the terms short breaks with volunteer host families or paid contract families, and home sharing provided by host families are used in place of respite care and residential care respectively. The report describes the methodology for the questionnaire based survey of 30 schemes, run by 12 separate organisations, that provided overnight breaks with host families. It presents information from the survey about the hosts, the guests, and other issues. It concludes with a discussion of the findings, and makes recommendations for policy makers, managers and further research.
It’s about time: An overview of short break (respite care) planning and provision in Scotland
- Author:
- REID-HOWIE ASSOCIATES
- Publisher:
- Shared Care Scotland
- Publication year:
- 2010
- Pagination:
- 77p.
- Place of publication:
- Dunfermline
This research was carried out for Shared Care Scotland by Reid Howie Associates to look at the planning and provision of short break care in adult and older people’s services. The report presents the findings of research carried out between April and August 2010 to: improve knowledge and understanding of the landscape of respite care and short break provision for adults in Scotland; identify good practice in the planning, commissioning and design of respite care and short break services; and better understand the challenges and identify solutions to moving towards more flexible, personalised respite care and short break services for adults. The research focused on the views of stakeholders in the public sector, although a number of carers’ and other organisations also contributed views.
‘It terrifies me, the thought of the future’: listening to the current concerns of informal carers of people with a learning disability
- Authors:
- MANSELL Ian, WILSON Christine
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, 14(1), March 2010, pp.21-31.
- Publisher:
- Sage
- Place of publication:
- London
Carers of someone with a learning disability have additional responsibilities as the person they care for is often dependent on them for their overall health and well-being. The findings from a study that asked carers for their views on a wide range of topics are reported. A mixed method design yielded both quantitative and qualitative data. A total of 647 members of a parent/carer federation were sent a questionnaire with a section on ‘current concerns’. The response rate was 23 percent (151 participants). Two focus groups were held with 15 carers who had completed the questionnaire. Findings revealed such issues of concern to carers that included: access to health and social care information and services; quality and quantity of respite care; suitable educational provision; independence and quality of life (for a person with learning disability); and what would happen to the person with learning disability when the carer was no longer able to carry out their caring role.
Inequalities in respite service provision: insights from a national, longitudinal study of people with intellectual disabilities
- Authors:
- McCONKEY Roy, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 23(1), January 2010, pp.85-94.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Using data from a national database in Ireland of around 16,000 people with learning disabilities living with family carers, the availability of overnight respite provision was monitored over an 8-year period along with the recorded needs for such services. Despite marked rises in the number of people receiving respite breaks resulting from increased government funding, there were marked inequalities in the availability of provision across the country. In recent years the inequalities decreased but still remained. The proportion of families requiring breaks also rose and a similar pattern of inequalities were found here too. This study highlighted some of the complexities in reducing inequalities in the provision of respite services and in identifying the need for them. It would be advantageous to develop more explicit criteria regarding the need for respite provision and to record the family's preferences for the form this provision might take. These adjustments would add to the value of any national database as a service planning tool.
Short breaks pathfinder evaluation: interim report: end of phase one
- Authors:
- GREIG Rob, et al
- Publisher:
- Great Britain. Department for Children, Schools and Families
- Publication year:
- 2010
- Pagination:
- 25p.
- Place of publication:
- London
This evaluation report describes what has been happening in the Pathfinder sites and also explain why and for whom those things might have been happening. It then draws conclusions as to what that might mean for transferability of the learning to other situations and settings. The research consisted of a review of relevant national documentation, and discussions with other key national stakeholders and series of interviews, meetings and interactions with stakeholders from the 21 Pathfinder sites. Descriptions of the process and methodology used for the work, a summary of the initial ‘emerging theories of change’ that have arisen from the analysis of the data obtained, and a short comment on other issues and themes arising from the initial fieldwork and analysis. This report includes sections on: the effectiveness of parent participation in developing innovative short breaks; how involving children and young people is leading to more accessible and child focused short breaks; emerging inclusion and increase of ordinary community facilities; effectiveness of partnership working, where it exists; and a ‘softening’ of the process of accessing short breaks leading to a more open service available to more families.
The costs of short break provision
- Authors:
- HOLMES Lisa, McDERMID Samantha, SEMPIK Joe
- Publisher:
- Great Britain. Department for Children, Schools and Families
- Publication year:
- 2010
- Pagination:
- 67p., bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- London
This report describes how existing evidence shows that a break from caring is one of the most frequently requested services from families caring for disabled children, and many studies point to the positive outcomes achieved through the provision of short break care. This study aimed to calculate the costs incurred by Children’s Services Departments in providing short breaks to disabled children and their families. The study looked to calculate the costs of individual services, provided by both local authority and voluntary service providers. In addition, and in order to calculate the full range of costs associated with the provision of short breaks, the study aimed to identify and calculate the costs of the routes by which families are able to access short break provision, and any ongoing social care activity undertaken to support the child and family once in receipt of short break services. Two types of access routes were identified and costed for comparison: the ‘traditional’ assessment and referral route, which includes an initial or core assessment, resource allocation panels, and assessments carried out as part of the Common Assessment Framework; and a ‘local core offer model’ whereby a local authority offers the provision of a standardised package of short break services to a specific population of disabled children and young people, who meet an identified set of eligibility criteria.