what's in the news?

17th July - Shona Robison, Minister for Health and Community Care confirms Government's commitment to increase short break and respite care provision by 10,000 weeks over the next 3-years.  To meet this target within the 3-year timeframe the Government will be allocating a further £4million to local authorities in addition to funding already provided as part of the Government/COSLA Concordat arrangement.

The additional weeks will be achieved as follows:

2,000 extra respite weeks in 2008-09
6,000 extra respite weeks in 2009-10
10,000 weeks in 2010-11

Click here to link to Scottish Government press release.

The Government will also shortly be publishing guidance to local authorities and their Community Planning Partners to support improvements in short break provision through better strategic planning, more person-centred approaches to service design and closer involvement with carers and service users.

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25th June - Shared Care Scotland sends MSP's postcard to wish them well as they begin their summer recess....but not to forget the fact that many thousands of Scotland's carers will go without a break.

Click here to see postcard and message

  

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7th June - Shared Care Scotland launches OSBIS, Scotland's first online national directory of short break and break from caring services.

Download more information here

Link to directory: www.carebreaksscotland.org

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19th February - Scotland's National Carer Organisations publish guide to assist local lobbying for better carer support services, including short break services.

The guide contains:

• Background information on the Comprehensive Spending Review
• A summary of the Scottish Government’s key targets and commitments relating to carers and carer support services
• Advice to carer organisations and carers on local campaigning
• Contact details for organisations that can provide further information, advice and practical support

Download a pdf copy of the Guide here

Download a template lobbying letter here

 

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12 February 2008 - Shared Care Scotland launches new DVD resource - 'Something To Look Forward To'. 

‘Something To Look Forward To’ is a short film commissioned by Shared Care Scotland to provide advice and encouragement to carers and service users who are considering using short break and respite services.  The film will also be of interest to those who provide or plan services.  The film has been structured in such a way that it can be used for carer information sessions or training.

The DVD also contains:

• Written case study examples of alternative approaches to short break provision.
• A ‘Glossary’ explaining the different types of short break and respite care services.
• Contact details and web links for organisations offering advice and information.
• A film presentation of Elspeth Murray’s poem, ‘Give us a Break’, written for Shared Care Scotland’s conference in 2007.

To see a short extract from the film please visit:

http://www.mediaeducation.co.uk/projectzone/sharedcarescotland/

Download the pdf leaflet here.

Download DVD order form here.

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14 January 2008 - Shared Care Scotland responds to Scottish Government's consultation on Respite Care Guidance

Please see below for a summary of the points raised by Shared Care Scotland in their response letter to the Scottish Government.  To view the full response:

• click here for covering letter (pdf)
• click here for detailed comments (pdf) 
• click here for Have Your Say report (pdf)

Summary points:

• The guidance needs to communicate more strongly the importance of developing a strategic approach to the planning and development of short break services to all care groups
• The guidance should state the minimum information requirements expected in relation to strategy development, and we would suggest a strategy development template is provided in the annex section
• The guidance should require local authorities and their health partners to produce a single short break service strategy document, following a specified format
• The guidance should explain the measures by which these strategies will be approved, monitored and evaluated, the timescales and the agencies/organisations involved. (An evaluation of the impact of the Scottish Office 1996 Respite Guidance was never carried out and this has perhaps contributed to the ‘considerable variation in services’ we have today.)
• To demonstrate the political commitment to improving short break services, we would like the guidance to quote the Scottish Government’s statements and targets on this subject, in particular the additional 10,000 weeks stated within the Concordat agreement and the proposed introduction of a minimum statutory entitlement
• In order to measure the overall impact of the guidance, we recommend that the Scottish Government commission new research to establish a baseline position.  This should describe the current level of provision in Scotland, across care groups, identifying strengths, weaknesses and priority areas of unmet need. This work should ‘pull on’ the information generated locally through the development of short break and respite strategies
• The information gathering activity generated by the guidance should be used by the Scottish Government to develop a longer term national strategy for short break services taking a ‘whole system’ view

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October 2007 - Draft Respite Care Guidance now out for consultation

The Scottish Government has issued for consultation its draft guidance on respite care planning.  The guidance has been developed by a government-led task group made up of local authorities, regulators, the NHS and voluntary organisations, including Shared Care Scotland. Its main purpose is to help local service planners improve respite provision in line with the overall principles of supporting self-care and working with carers as partners in care, by: 

• improving respite planning;
• shifting the balance towards preventative support; and
• personalising support to improve outcomes both for carers and those with care needs.

The consultation takes place between October and January 16th 2008.

Shared Care Scotland is planning events for carers, service users and practitioners to gather feedback on this draft guidance.  For further information please see our events section.  People can also make comments online via the Scottish Government's website.

DOWNLOADS

• Full draft guidance plus covering letter and list of consultees
• Summary
• Easy read version of guidance
• Short video introduction to respite guidance consultation by the Minister for Public Health, Shona Robison

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Shared Care Scotland awarded £11,760 from the Youth Opportunities Fund

This funding will go towards a young carers residential break which will take place in October.  The event is being planned in partnership with the Young Carers Alliance in Scotland. During the 5-day break participants will have the opportunity to develop communication and teamworking skills. It is hoped that some of the young carers involved will put these skills to good use by helping to raise awareness of carers issues and the need for more and better support services.

For more information please contact Don Williamson at the Shared Care Scotland office or Louise Morgan at the Young Carers Alliance: lmorgan@carers.org, tel: 0141 221 5066

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Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland supports Shared Care Scotland Online Short Break Information Service

Shared Care Scotland is delighted to have been awarded £24,000 from the Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland to contribute towards the development of our Online Short Break Information Service. 

OSBIS will provide a ‘one stop shop’ where people will be able to search for information on all forms of short break and respite services from befriending and sitter schemes, to purpose built residential respite accommodation and supported holiday breaks.  A lot of work has gone into developing the right ‘platform’ for this database and the prototype is now under test. OSBIS will be ready to launch later in the year.