Summary
A programme of holiday activities in the Midlothian for children/young people with a disability or additional support needs and their carers, including days out, picnics as well as access to local leisure and recreational activities.
What Better Breaks Midlothian did
Due to Covid restrictions our original programme of activities had to be delayed and amended, but following agreement from Shared Care Scotland the following activities were delivered.
Families were given access to a range of vouchers to attend leisure and recreational activities over the winter months, including local adventure parks, festive light displays and the Zoo, while parents were also able to engage in online peer support sessions, craft workshops and mindfulness/relaxation sessions, as well as days out with a friend or partner for lunch or coffee.
In addition, we organised two structured group outings/picnics for parent carers and their children. This included a picnic at Vogrie Country Park, where parents and their children were able to engage in a range of activities, including face painting, children's magician, bouncy castle, selfy photo booths, as well as peer support sessions and relaxation therapies for carers. Similarly, we also organised a family day out at East Links Family Park, which allowed parents and children to have a fun day out at the coast with a range of activities available, including train rides, farm animals, go-karts, trampolines crazy golf and a whole host of other exciting activities for all the family.
All outings and events were promoted on our Wee Breaks website and carers were able to note an interest in particular vouchers or a place at one of the family days out by submitting an online request. These breaks were also advertised and promoted through newsletters, social media channels and other VOCAL websites.
Both group events were fortunate to benefit from fine weather and were supported by a range of staff and volunteers from VOCAL Midlothian, as ell as a small number of staff from other agencies.
Despite the delays and amendments brought about by Covid, the project proved to be a great success and the activities and support offered were well received by those who participated. This was reflected in feedback from parents and children and has resulted in us meeting at least four of the six Better Breaks priorities, including sports and active leisure, diversity, complex needs and independence.
What VOCAL Midlothian has learned
Given the delays and the time it has taken to organise and deliver our Better Breaks Programme, due to the Covid situation, there are a number of learning outcomes from this project. These include the following:
Design a programme of breaks and activities that is flexible, can be adapted and changed, if necessary, at very short notice.
Have a plan B, a back up plan that can be implemented if circumstances change and we are not able to deliver all or part of the original programme.
Don’t book and pay for activities, breaks too far in advance, as things could potentially change at very short notice.
Try to arrange breaks and activities that are outdoors, within the local authority boundary, where social distancing measures can be implemented with less difficulty.
Avoid large group activities and try to arrange breaks in a way that allows carers and their children to socially distance and avoid too much contact with other families.
Expect the unexpected and the potential for carers to withdraw or cancel at the last minute due to illness, infection and changes to their family/caring situation.
Develop closer working relationships/partnerships with other agencies who work directly with parents and children with disabilities and additional support needs.
How VOCAL Midlothian has benefitted from the funding
Delivering our Better Breaks Programme has been extremely difficult and it was more than a year behind schedule due to the difficulties and restrictions presented by Covid. However, the challenges presented in delivering the programme have also benefited our organisation in a number of ways. These include the following:
Developed a new working partnership with Gorebridge Community Carers, which allowed us to reach a large number of new parent carers who were not using our service previously.
Developed a new outreach service in the local community which allows us to offer face to face support parent carers and their children in a setting that is more familiar to them and easier to access.
Developed new working relationship with Council Project Officers within local schools, who are working with parent carers and children with additional support needs.
Developed the resilience, skills and capacity of our staff and brought the team closer together as a result of pulling together to deliver our programme of breaks and services through some very difficult and testing times.
Project Outcomes
Outcome
Four separate structured events will have taken place allowing up to 80 children/young people to participate in a range of fun, recreational activities that they enjoy during the school holidays.
Results
Two structured group events (carers family days/picnics) took place allowing 57 children/young people to participate in a range of fun recreational activities. This included a carers picnic at Vogrie Counrty Park with a range of activities available, including children's magician, bouncy castle, face painting, photo booth, children’s characters and games. The second structured group event was a family day out for carers and their children at East Links Family Park with free entrance tickets, transport and lunches made available to those in attendance.
A further 124 children participated in a range of outdoor fun, recreational activities including attending Fort Douglas Adventure Park, Conifox Adventure Park and a Festive lights display in Dalkeith Country Park.
Case study
The carer was a 38 year old woman who was providing carer for her two children aged 7 and 13. Her 7 year old son had Autism and a muscular condition which affected his mobility, while her daughter had Asperger’s Syndrome. The carer also supported her 30 year old Cousin who had cerebral palsy and epilepsy. The carer was working full-time, while studying for a care qualification and had no other help available to support her in her caring roles.
She found the stress and strains of her caring roles overwhelming at times and was finding it particularly difficult during the Covid restrictions, with schools closed and many other areas of support unavailable. Her son had an SDS budget to pay for additional support but she was unable to use this during the lockdown to access services that her son needed, as most support services were closed or operating at a reduced capacity.
The carer was given one-to-one support from VOCAL, completed Adult Carer Support Plan and had the opportunity to interact with other carers as part of our weekly Parent Carer’s Peer Support Group. The carer and her children also benefited from a range of opportunities that were available as part of our Better Breaks programme, including tickets for a local children’s adventure park and a place at our family day out at East Links Family Park, where there were a full range of fun and exciting activities for children and adults to enjoy together. The carer was also able to relax and spend some time with a friend, when she received a voucher for coffee and cake at a local restaurant.
In her end of programme evaluation the carer reported, a significant improvement in her health and well being and felt better able to sustain her caring role. She is now a regular attendee at our Parent Carer Peer Support Group and says this has allowed her to develop new friendships, share experiences and enjoy some time away from her caring role. The carer also reported an improvement in her children’s well being and stated how much they had enjoyed the activities and the opportunity to get out the house and mix with other children.
Outcome
50 - 60 parent carers will have benefited from a short break from caring responsibilities as a result of their child's participation in fun, recreational activities.
70% of parent carers will report an improvement in social wellbeing, changing relationship and/or health and wellbeing.
Results
123 parent carers (77 different parent carers) benefited from a break from caring, as a result of their children participating in a range of outdoor, fun, recreational activities.
78% of parent carers whose children participated in the programme of activities reported an improvement in their social wellbeing, changing relationships and or health and wellbeing.
Case study
The carer was a 41 year old single parent who was providing carer for her two sons, aged 10 and 14. Both boys had Autism, ADHD, as well as a number of other cognitive and physical conditions, which meant they needed a lot of additional support in the home, as well as from the learning support base at their school. Much of this support had stopped completely during the Covid restrictions with schools across the country closed due to the pandemic. The carer was finding this period of time particularly difficult with both her sons in the house constantly and very little support available from family and friends. All of her time and energy was focused on her sons and their home schooling and she was finding it very difficult to cope.
The carer was already registered with VOCAL and had previously completed an Adult Carer Support Plan and had received a range of support and interventions in relation to her caring role, but was struggling to keep her sons occupied and to deal with the isolation and stress of being stuck in the house. She was desperate for something to do with her sons and to find ways of reducing the anxiety and stress she was experiencing at the time.
The carer was offered a range of opportunities as part of our Better Breaks programme in order to occupy her sons and give her a break from her caring role. This included a family day pass for her and her sons to attend the Conifox Adventure Park, as well as a place at our family picnic at Vogrie Country Park. The picnic had a range of fun recreational activities available on the day for children and parents. This included children’s magician, face painting, bouncy castle, as well as a craft session, tombola and mindfulness/relaxation therapies for parents. The carer was also able to tap into a number of other opportunities that were available through our programme and enjoyed a an Eat Out to Chill Out carers lunch with a friend at the local Italian restaurant and a high tea home delivery as apart of our online relaxation and mindfulness workshops. These activities were complimented by one-to-one support from our Carer Support Team, as well as weekly online sessions with our Parent Carer’s Peer Support Group.
In her end of programme evaluation, the carer reported a number of benefits from the activities that her and her children were able to take part in. These included emotional support from meeting with other carers, feeling less socially isolated and having some time to her self. She also reported an improvement in her health and wellbeing, improved relationships with others and enjoying better interaction with other parent carers. She also stated how beneficial the activities had been for her and her sons. “The activities seemed to come at just the right time for me and my sons and gave us a chance to spend some quality time together out with the house. The activities also gave me some time to myself and an opportunity to meet other carers and develop new friendships. The techniques I leaned on the relaxation and mindfulness session have been a great benefit to me over the past few months and have helped me through some difficult times”.
Outcome
80% of parent carer whose children participate in our activities will have completed an Adult Carer Support Plan and feel better supported to sustain their caring role.
70% of parent carers will report an improvement in social wellbeing, changing relationship and/or health and wellbeing.
Results
92% of parent carers whose children participated in our programme of activities have completed an Adult Carer Support Plan (ACSP) and feel better supported to sustain their caring role. A number of carers who accessed our Better Breaks programme of activities where already registered with VOCAL and had completed an ACSP, while any new parent carers, whose children participaed in our programme, were automatically referred over to our Carer Support Team to complete an ACSP and identify any other areas of support that was necessary.
78% of parent carers whose children participated our programme of activities reported an improvement in their social wellbeing, changing relationships and or their health and wellbeing.
Case study
The carer was a 38 year old woman who was providing carer for her two children aged 7 and 13. Her 7 year old son had Autism and a muscular condition which affected his mobility, while her daughter had Asperger’s Syndrome. The carer also supported her 30 year old Cousin who had cerebral palsy and epilepsy. The carer was working full-time, while studying for a care qualification and had no other help available to support her in her caring roles.
She found the stress and strains of her caring roles overwhelming at times and was finding it particularly difficult during the Covid restrictions, with schools closed and many other areas of support unavailable. Her son had an SDS budget to pay for additional support but she was unable to use this during the lockdown to access services that her son needed, as most support services were closed or operating at a reduced capacity.
The carer was given one-to-one support from VOCAL, completed Adult Carer Support Plan and had the opportunity to interact with other carers as part of our weekly Parent Carer’s Peer Support Group. The carer and her children also benefited from a range of opportunities that were available as part of our Better Breaks programme, including tickets for a local children’s adventure park and a place at our family day out at East Links Family Park, where there were a full range of fun and exciting activities for children and adults to enjoy together. The carer was also able to relax and spend some time with a friend, when she received a voucher for coffee and cake at a local restaurant.
In her end of programme evaluation the carer reported, a significant improvement in her health and well being and felt better able to sustain her caring role. She is now a regular attendee at our Parent Carer Peer Support Group and says this has allowed her to develop new friendships, share experiences and enjoy some time away from her caring role. The carer also reported an improvement in her children’s well being and stated how much they had enjoyed the activities and the opportunity to get out the house and mix with other children.
Outcome
70% of parent carers will report an improvement in social wellbeing, changing relationships and/or health and wellbeing.
60% of parent carers whose children participated will report an improvement in their own health and wellbeing and in that of the child/young person they care for.
Results
78% of parent carers whose children participated our programme of activities reported an improvement in their social wellbeing, changing relationships and or their health and wellbeing.
73% of parent carers whose children participated in our programme of activities have reported an improvement in their own health and wellbeing and in that of the child/young person they care for.
Case study
The carer was a 41 year old single parent who was providing carer for her two sons, aged 10 and 14. Both boys had Autism, ADHD, as well as a number of other cognitive and physical conditions, which meant they needed a lot of additional support in the home, as well as from the learning support base at their school. Much of this support had stopped completely during the Covid restrictions with schools across the country closed due to the pandemic. The carer was finding this period of time particularly difficult with both her sons in the house constantly and very little support available from family and friends. All of her time and energy was focused on her sons and their home schooling and she was finding it very difficult to cope.
The carer was already registered with VOCAL and had previously completed an Adult Carer Support Plan and had received a range of support and interventions in relation to her caring role, but was struggling to keep her sons occupied and to deal with the isolation and stress of being stuck in the house. She was desperate for something to do with her sons and to find ways of reducing the anxiety and stress she was experiencing at the time.
The carer was offered a range of opportunities as part of our Better Breaks programme in order to occupy her sons and give her a break from her caring role. This included a family day pass for her and her sons to attend the Conifox Adventure Park, as well as a place at our family picnic at Vogrie Country Park. The picnic had a range of fun recreational activities available on the day for children and parents. This included children’s magician, face painting, bouncy castle, as well as a craft session, tombola and mindfulness/relaxation therapies for parents. The carer was also able to tap into a number of other opportunities that were available through our programme and enjoyed a an Eat Out to Chill Out carers lunch with a friend at the local Italian restaurant and a high tea home delivery as apart of our online relaxation and mindfulness workshops. These activities were complimented by one-to-one support from our Carer Support Team, as well as weekly online sessions with our Parent Carer’s Peer Support Group.
In her end of programme evaluation, the carer reported a number of benefits from the activities that her and her children were able to take part in. These included emotional support from meeting with other carers, feeling less socially isolated and having some time to her self. She also reported an improvement in her health and wellbeing, improved relationships with others and enjoying better interaction with other parent carers. She also stated how beneficial the activities had been for her and her sons. “The activities seemed to come at just the right time for me and my sons and gave us a chance to spend some quality time together out with the house. The activities also gave me some time to myself and an opportunity to meet other carers and develop new friendships. The techniques I leaned on the relaxation and mindfulness session have been a great benefit to me over the past few months and have helped me through some difficult times”.