Summary
Clasp provides regular respite to families by hosting reliable sports clubs, youth clubs, and respite days to children with learning disabiities, autism and complex care needs in and around the Cowal area of Argyll & Bute.
What Clasp did
Clasp delivered all planned Youth Club, Zone Club and Parent Forum sessions during what was a very fulfilling year.
Zone Club
Clasp delivered 30 Zone Club sessions during 2022/2023. Zone club provides regular opportunities for children to be active and enjoy taking part in regular sporting activities such as Football, Dance, Basketball, Tennis, and Golf. Zone Club runs during term time for 90 minutes every Wednesday after school which takes place at the local Grammar School. The Clasp team works with a qualified Active Schools Instructor to offer encouragement to the children and ensure all activities are accessible.
This year, the Clasp staff took part in Disability Sports Inclusion training and now host the warmup sessions. Zone Club is open to all children and does not require a referral.
Youth Club
Clasp delivered all 20 Youth Club sessions during 2022/23.
Clasp’s Youth club provides a safe and encouraging environment so children can make friends, play games, and socialise. The children are supported by the Clasp Care and Support team and work together to plan the activities available at each session.
This year, the older children have enjoyed table tennis, hair styling lessons, card games, pool, walks, tasting sessions, pancake decorating and much more. The younger group have enjoyed access to soft play, bouncy castle, sensory play equipment, library visit, face painting, party games, and sing along sessions.
Parent Forum
Clasp’s Parent Forum provides carers the opportunity to feed into the future of the service and meet with other carers. Parent Forum also provides helpful information to carers such as Cost-of-Living support, transitioning from primary to secondary school, and other local events. Clasp provided 4 Parent Forum sessions during 2023/24.
What Cornerstone has learned
Clasp has an open-door policy and we are very connected to the children and families we support - we feel this is a vital aspect of Clasp. We have learned that communication is key to delivering a successful service that suits the needs of the children and families. We offer a safe, secure, happy, and active environment that provides positive outcomes. We can only continue to grow and move forward by listening to the needs and working together to achieve these.
Clasp has successfully completed another busy and fulfilling year, we have met outcomes, shared new experiences, celebrated goals, set new milestones, expanded the variety of activities we offer, and have made new memories.
“Clasp is fantastic as a provider of the highest quality care, meets GIRFEC on all elements, all the time. We would not have the quality of time as a family without Clasp for respite days, Zone Club and Youth Club.” Parent of Clasp Attendee
How Cornerstone has benefitted from the funding
Clasp wouldn't be the service it is today without Better Breaks. Without this funding we would not be able to deliver so many aspects of our service to the children and provide much need respite to parents and carers.
Better Breaks enables Cornerstone to support more children and young people than we could otherwise. The fund allows us to offer more activities and experiences for children. This work enables children to make friends and try something new whilst providing respite to their parents/carers.
Project Outcomes
Outcome
40 Children across the Dunoon area of Argyll & Bute will be able to take part in sport, games, and be able to socialise in an inclusive environment where everyone can take part.
Results
Throughout the year, Clasp hosted 30 Zone Club sessions for an average of 22 attendees and 20 Youth Club sessions for an average of 18 children. Both Youth Club and Zone Club bring children together to take part in a wide variety of games and sports which are made accessible to all attendees by the Clasp Team. These sessions can be accessed without a referral. At the end of each year, we conduct a SHANARRI survey so parents and carers can feedback on the progress of their child.
Below are some results from this survey.
Clasp provides my child with the opportunity to make friends.
100% of parents/carers ‘strongly agreed’ with this statement.
Clasp supports my child to access activities in the local area.
100% of parents/carers ‘strongly agreed’ with this statement.
Clasp supports my child to interact with others.
100% of parents/carers ‘strongly agreed’ with this statement
Case study
Clasp is always welcoming fresh faces into the service and this year has been no different. One of our new starts is a young boy with Autism and global development delay who recently moved to the area with his foster family. As you can imagine the move to the area, new home, school, and service was particularly challenging for the child and the family. The Clasp team worked with the family to provide a safe and secure space for the child to explore, express himself, and provided the opportunity to make friends.
The Clasp team assisted the family to get to know other parents and learn what local activities are available. The staff team are fantastic at welcoming children to Clasp. Since then the child has been more settled, has made friends, and attends both Zone and Youth club regularly. Its lovely to see how he has grown in such a short space of time to a confident boy. He’s been so keen to learn and try new activities.
“The Clubs have added a valuable dynamic to both my son’s life and ours. 'A' is building friendships and confidence which adds to our quality of life as a family.”
Outcome
60 Carers of disabled children across the Dunoon area of Argyll & Bute will have greater access to respite by delivering regular group activities where their child receives full support. Carers of disabled children will have their views heard during 4 scheduled Parent Forums.
Results
The children and families are at the heart of what we do at Clasp we strive to deliver a service that meets the needs of all the children as well as providing carers with invaluable respite. This year, 60 carers benefitted from the regular respite during the 30 Zone Club sessions and 20 Youth Club sessions. At these sessions, full support is provided for every child and the their carers can enjoy time to themselves. These carers were also invited to our quarterly Parent Forum.
All carers are given a calendar of support so they know in advance when these sessions will take place. As part of our annual SHANARRI survey, we asked carers how they spent this extra respite time.
“Time to myself & quality alone time with family who are also vulnerable.”
“Good for me to get time to myself and get things done. I can walk the dogs and give my other children attention. “
“As a single parent the support from clasp enables me time to get my shopping, take care of the housework and plan."
Case study
One of our parents used the time away from their caring role to complete an Open University course. While her son is being cared for by the Clasp team, she can attend a weekly class as well as spend some time doing her course work. The change in the parent’s confidence and wellbeing is amazing. The classes have allowed her the opportunity to make friends, better herself and achieve her own goals and dreams. She feels gaining more qualifications will in turn provide more job opportunities for herself and a stable income for herself and her son. The focus and organisation that she puts into course shows how dedicated she is.
Outcome
60 carers of children and young people with disabilities will feel better equipped to sustain their caring role by having more time for themselves, other family members, and by having some extra space in their own lives.
Results
This year, 60 carers benefitted from the regular respite during the 30 Zone Club sessions and 20 Youth Club sessions. At these sessions, full support is provided for every child and the their carer's can enjoy time to themselves. These carers were also invited to our quarterly Parent Forum.
This year, Clasp has been working on promoting independence, improving happiness, improving health and wellbeing, increasing resilience, and reducing isolation. I feel Clasp has been able to provide this support to the children, young adults and families we support.
One parent expressed – “Clasp provides an amazing opportunity for my child to socialise without the pressure of school. He looks forward to his time there and has enhanced his social skills and decreased his separation anxiety.
“We would be lost without Clasp. The children feel positive, happy, and well – loved. They have made friends and enjoy all the activities and new experiences."
Case study
Parent Forum is an essential element to Clasp, and the parents enjoy the 4 sessions we offer, but they have expanded this themselves and now meet more often for a catch up over coffee while the children are at Youth Club. Its lovely to see it develop and grow on its own. By offering a safe space for the parents to meet and get to know one another friendships have blossomed, and support groups has formed naturally.
Six months ago, we welcomed a new parent and child into the Clasp service. This parent recently lost a family member who helped her to care for her son.
This parent had low self-esteem and was struggling to come to terms with her loss. We encouraged her to attend the sessions, and now she is comfortable around the other parents. She can now talk about her experience and other parents have been supporting her to come to other events.
Carers and parents can leave comments as part of our annual survey. These can be found below,
"Amazing reassurance from staff. Would be happy for XXX to be in care of Clasp staff at anything!”
“Clasp has been a godsend for my son, myself and my partner as my partner and I are disabled.”
“Communication is fantastic.”
“The staff are simply the best.”
“They do a fantastic job and I really appreciate all this group does.”
“It’s a great service and helps lots of families.”
Outcome
40 children and young people with disabilities will have improved wellbeing by taking part in the regular exercise and team building associated with sports via Zone Club. 60 carers of children and young people with disabilities will have increased respite to spend in a way that benefits them.
Results
After incredibly positive feedback from last years “Fitness February,” we decided to add extra themed events to help promote the importance of personal wellbeing and keeping active. We started the year off with Jolly January where all children, staff and their parents/carers set themselves a small goal to achieve within the year, such as flying for the first time, learning a new sport, and learning to cook. We regularly review these goals. During Fitness February we challenged the team to reach a million steps and celebrated this success with a torchlight walk.
Clasp activities help my child to be physically healthy by staying active.
100% of parents/carers ‘strongly agreed’ with this statement.
Clasp activities help my child to be mentally healthy by staying active.
100% of parents/carers ‘strongly agreed’ with this statement.
Clasp helps my child to become more confident.
100% of parents/carers ‘strongly agreed’ with this statement.