Summary
We provided care to children with complex support needs during school holidays and in service days. We also delivered a Monday evening youth group. Parents & carers benefitted from a break from caring during school holidays. Parents and carers enjoyed one evening per week respite, including door to door transport. All activities operated mainly from the C.O.J.A.C. Centre. The Holiday programmes for children and young people up to 18 years was during school holidays and a Monday evening youth group enjoying independent time with their peers.
What Fair Play did
The funding provided support staff for 4 children and young people during the school holidays, 2 Support staff support for our Monday evening youth group and one senior support worker.
We delivered a two week spring, 7 week summer, 1 week October and February midterm programmes. These holiday programmes included free food, drinks and snacks during Spring, Summer and October school breaks through funding from Glasgow City Council Holiday Food programme.
Throughout the year, we have also provided cover for school in service days which are usually added on to each school holiday break. The children and young people enjoyed trips out every day with mini bus transport provided free by Glasgow City Council. This allows for one long trip out each week, for example to Troon beach and the rest local trips within Glasgow. The children enjoyed trips to Transport Museum, Kelvingrove Museum, Baltic Street Playground, Reidvale Adventure play park, Pollok Park, Tollcross Park, Linn Park Adventure playground and Glasgow Green.
Our Monday evening youth group met 50 weeks of the year, with alternative Wednesday evening service offered when we would be close for public holidays on a Monday. The group benefit from door to door transport that reduces the stress for parents/carers dropping off and collecting. The group also benefitted from a residential weekend away to Blackpool from Saturday to Monday in September 2023. They enjoyed a trip to the circus, dinner, bed and breakfast with entertainment each evening in the hotel. Parents/carers benefitted from a weekend respite break. The group also had a Valentine’s disco, C in the Park, Halloween disco, and Christmas dinner and disco at a local pub/club.
What Caring Operations Joint Action Council (C.O.J.A.C.) has learned
The funding has allowed us to address the high demand we have for school holiday cover. Children with complex support needs find it difficult to adjust to the long 7 week absence from school and having a holiday programme to attend can support them in having some sort of routine and being out of the house.
For our young people, often, they can be isolated at home and not be in employment or higher education. Attending C.O.J.A.C. ensures that they at least have one thing to look forward to each week. We have been able to increase our youth group from 13 to 14 attending.
We utilised additional funding to arrange a weekend residential to Blackpool, which was a new activity for us and I was grateful for the support of Shared Care Scotland staff in linking us with other providers to share information on the planning and preparation of this.
We were able to attract additional funds from Bank of Scotland Foundation and Glasgow's Health and Wellbeing Fund for the youth group. We also attracted funding for Glasgow Community Planning for holiday costs in relation to the children's service that pays for entrance and activities fees. The children's service also benefitted from Glasgow Holiday Food Programme to pay for all meals, drinks and snacks during the school holidays. This reduces the financial stress for families during the school holidays.
We have rejuvenated our parent/carer support group in partnership with Glasgow South Carers Centre and Indigo childcare project.
How Caring Operations Joint Action Council (C.O.J.A.C.) has benefitted from the funding
The funding from Better Breaks part funds our holiday programmes and we utilise other sources to offer an all inclusive programme of activities for a greater number of families and carers. This came from Glasgow Communities Fund, Glasgow Holiday Food Programme and Glasgow Community Planning Playscheme Grant. We also receive in kind two mini buses from Glasgow City Council via a community transport project to allow trips out every day during school holidays.
Our youth group has benefitted from additional funds from Bank of Scotland Foundation and Glasgow Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund. This assisted with the funding of the residential trip to Blackpool.
Supported the revival of the parent/carer support group in partnership with Glasgow South Carers Centre and Indigo childcare service held monthly in the centre.
Project Outcomes
Outcome
Four children with multiple support needs will have joined the service during the school holidays, which is where our greatest demand is. This will reduce their isolation and allow them independent time out from home with their peers.
Thirteen young adults will attend the centre on a Monday evening, be out independently from home socialising like their non-disabled peers.
Results
We were able to offer places to 4 children from our waiting list. We provided holiday care for five days per week for seven hours per day. This was for 11 weeks of the year including in service days. The children and young people benefitted from trips out from the centre, including, parks in Glasgow and once a week a longer trip to for example, Blair Drummond Safari Park. The children enjoyed activities in the centre, including use of a three level soft play facility, sports hall, arts and crafts room, sensory room, accessible play area and sensory garden. The children benefit from time out from home independently and enjoying activities similar to their non disabled peers.
The youth group met 50 weeks of the year, with any public holiday closures on a Monday taking place on a Wednesday instead. They also enjoyed a weekend trip to Blackpool independently from their parents/carers. The group also increased from 13 participants to 14, with a new individual joining later 2023.
Case study
Child (A) was also on our waiting list, and social work had also expressed their keenness for a place to be provided as mum was living in temporary accommodation and she was really struggling with A's behaviour at home and the school were only providing part time education. A has pica, learning disabilities and displays behaviour that challenges and is prone to self harm. A has finally been offered a full time place in an ASN school and is beginning to settle in to the service. Mum is over the moon at the respite she is now getting and A's two older siblings are benefiting from the break from caring.
Outcome
We had anticipated 8 parents/carers having a break/respite during the school holidays. However, this reduced as two of our additional children were brothers and mum was a lone parent and one other child was from a lone parent family. Therefore, additional carers reduced from 8 to 6. Parents/carers enjoyed being able to spend time with their other children, without the focus being on the disabled child.
28 parents/carers from our youth group had a regular weekly break from their caring role. They benefitted from not having to drop off and collect allowing them to maximise the time off from their caring role.
Results
4 additional children attended the holiday programmes from our waiting list allowing 6 parents/carers a break from their caring role. The service operated 5 days per week, for 7 hours per day, 11 weeks of the year, including school in service days. We had anticipated 13 young people attending, however, this increased to 14 with a new individual commencing late 2023. Therefore, 34 carers still benefitted from a break from their caring role.
Case study
L started attending the Monday youth group at the end of October 2023, L is 20 years old and has a physical disability with a likeness to cerebral palsy and a learning disability. L is a wheelchair user and uses a communication device aid called Proloquo2Go (Augmentative and Alternative Communication). L started C.O.J.A.C. because after finishing secondary school L struggled to find adult services that would allow her to be around young adults her own age. This left L feeling isolated and stuck in the house mostly with her parents with little independence. Since starting the group L has thrived is very social and now has many friends who she enjoys seeing weekly. L loves new experiences and taking part in new activities that COJAC facilitates such as arts and craft activities, sports, baking, games, bingo, flower planting, and gardening, karaoke, cultural nights, discos among many others. L was very shy at first but has now come out of her shell and has grown in confidence with the new found independence that the group allows her. L Has formed great relationships with all the staff and other service users in the group.
Outcome
Supporting parents/carers allowing them time out from their caring role.
Results
We provided a respite break for 28 parents/carers one evening per week for 50 weeks of the year with transport to and from the centre. We also provided 28 parents/carers with a weekend break from caring as we took the group away to Blackpool from Saturday to Monday in September 2023. Carers benefitted from the regular weekly break that they could enjoy knowing their cared for is being supported in an inclusive setting.
We provided 6 parents/carers with respite during the school holidays and in service days. This equated to 5 days @ 7 hours @ 11 weeks. We also resumed our parent/carer support group in the centre in partnership with Glasgow South Carers Centre and Indigo childcare project.
We continue to support parents and carers in their role through attending case reviews, liaising with schools, working with social work and signposting families to other support services. Staff had the time to work parents/carers through admissions process ensuring that there was time to settle in new children and for parents/carers to visit the centre prior to admission.
Case study
C has transitioned to secondary school this year. This has resulted in an extreme change in behaviour. C continues to challenge mum every day and has been hitting out at mum, dad and brother. C has also started daytime wetting when C had mastered toilet training. The school had also noticed the change in behaviour and hosted a case review that C.O.J.A.C. staff attended and participated in. Social Work agreed to provide mum with support in the mornings to help with getting ready for school and we had already increased C days to 4 days per week. It was clear that the transition to secondary school and new unescorted taxi to school was increasing C's anxiety. We are continuing to work with the family with regular meetings with the other third sector organisation that is involved in the morning.
Outcome
Four children with complex needs will have independent time out from school and home undertaking fun and playful activities that their non-disabled peers take for granted.
Thirteen young disabled adults will have an evening out from home in a safe and fun environment with their peers, allowing them to be independent, whilst reducing their isolation.
Results
6 parents/carers had the opportunity to have time to themselves or to spend time with their other children who often feel neglected as the family/carer focus can be more on the disabled child. The children were provided with the one to one support they require, including personal care. 4 children enjoyed independent time out from home, going to parks, participating in physical activities, and generally having fun similar to their non disabled peers. Parents/carers also benefitted financially as we utilise additional funding for entrance fees, trips out, and free food and drink throughout the school holidays. This reduces the financial impact of the cost of the school holidays.
28 parents/carers benefitted from a weekly evening break from caring allowing them to to take care of themselves. 14 young people attended the evening group enjoying independent time out from home reducing isolation and loneliness participating in a range of activities.
Case study
E has Down Syndrome and learning difficulties and attended during the school holidays. E has recently been diagnosed with diabetes. Staff undertook training with the diabetes nurse and worked with dad through a timetable protocol. This gave staff a step by step approach to E's day. For example, yoghurt for breakfast, then insulin checks, lunch at a particular time and so forth. By having the individual support mum and dad were relieved that E was being cared for and diabetes managed. E benefitted from the staff support during the day ensuring physical well being, allowing E to spend time with peers having fun and going out on trips.