Summary
Our Family Matters project, through its school-aged services, enabled children/young people with disabilities to enjoy fun holidays and out-of-school experiences alongside their peers and/or siblings. Carers were confident that their child’s wellbeing was a priority which gave them breathing space to focus on themselves or other family members. Family Matters also offered a wide range of whole family support services ensuring mutual support/benefit for children and young people and their carers.
What Family Matters did
Our Project delivers a year round programme of school aged childcare and family support for children with disabilities and their siblings, as part of our wider school aged childcare programme for families in the community of Castlemilk, Glasgow. Castlemilk is Glasgow’s most deprived community with the majority of families living in SIMD 1 and 2. The core school aged programme for children with disabilities provides; 10 Full-time equivalent school aged childcare places for children from 5-16 yrs old including:
Breakfast service – 7.30-9am
After school care service 3.00p.m. – 6.30p.m.
Holiday service – 7.30am-6.30p.m.
To maximise the number of children supported, families currently access both fully and partially subsidised places according to the families’ needs.
Indigo Connects Carers is a peer support service for families of children with disabilities. All children and young people have access to food during sessions and one nutritious meal per day during school holidays.(Food funded separately) Our Better Breaks places are advertised through our social media, our existing parents and our referral network.(around 20 other agencies) So far most of our families have come through our referral partners such as the local carers centre, schools and social work. We have also had internal referrals from our core staff team and self referrals from families in the community.
Family Support Co-ordinator, the Inclusion Co-ordinator and the family work together to assess individual needs to ascertain the support/respite required. All families are offered a tailored package of support based on above informal discussion. In addition to the school aged childcare, families can access emotional support, access to crisis resources e.g. vouchers/food, signposting/referrals to specialist services and/or support to access appropriate benefits.
35 of children and 21 families from the Castlemilk area have been supported using the Better Breaks places.
What The Indigo Childcare Group has learned
On project planning and budgeting, significantly larger projects are needed across the community to meet demand, however, meeting this demand is not just about funding. It is also about having access to appropriate venues that are accessible and offer a range of spaces to meet differing needs, especially during holiday periods. Critically though it is about securing the right people with appropriate skills, experience, knowledge and values to deliver the service to the quality standard required and this is not easy to fulfil.
Recruitment is challenging across the sector but more so when looking for team members who have the skills and experience to support these families in the way they deserve. Indigo has had to turn down a request to open a service in another local authority area for children with complex needs because of concerns around being able to secure the right people to deliver the service. This service would have supported in the region of 60 children. It would have required around 19 team members in various roles, funding was in place, however the recruitment market is such that we did not believe we would be able to recruit the necessary quantities of people with the right experience/qualifications at the one time.
Our project is based in Castlemilk, a community that is in a SIMD 1&2 area, where 38% more children live in poverty than the Glasgow average. We know that deprivation and health inequalities go hand in hand and that given our knowledge on waiting lists for local ASN services (around 2 years), that families in Castlemilk need affordable and accessible, inclusive services.
To help us better understand and support the local community, each year we completed a Family Equalities and Cost of Living survey with all families registered in our Castlemilk services. This year’s survey (for full report see appendix… ) provided us with vital information about the circumstances and experiences of families’ financial experiences, health and well-being and housing experiences. Some of the key data that is relevant to Better Breaks includes;
45% of families have at least one child with a disability or long-term health condition
24% of those families have a child/children with either multiple disabilities/conditions or was going through the diagnosis process for an additional disability/condition
27% of those have a neurodivergent child (either diagnosed or going through the diagnosis process)
27% of parent/carers said that they had a disability or long-term health condition
41% of families had a child as well as a parent/carer with a long-term health condition and/or disability
These statistics are also important to consider within a wider economic and social context that we gained from the survey results;
65% of families earn under £25,000 pa as their average annual household income and there has been an overall increase in families with the lowest average annual income compared to last year’s survey
44.7% of families are living at least £3700 below the poverty line
21% are 2 parent families living at least £5300 below the poverty line
17.6% of families are living £13,700 below the poverty line on under £5000 per year
There is an indication that families are underclaiming benefits, e.g. there is a higher number of families claiming qualifying benefits such as UC than receiving Scottish Child Payment
14% of families are living in an overcrowded house as a result of a health condition
40% of families have damp in their home
Over a quarter of families are experiencing issues such as delays in essential repairs, anti-social behaviour, rent arrears and rent increases
Over 50% of families where there is a disabled household member is living below the poverty line
The cost of living crisis is having a devastating effect on families across the community. 20% of families lost power to their homes this year, 49% of families have struggled to afford daily essentials such as food and clothing of families said they 53% are in debt and using other forms of credit to cover daily living costs.
Families are facing complex circumstances from disabilities to damp housing conditions, these circumstances are often heavily intertwined together. We believe that there is no simple solution or fixed formula to this. Families deserve access to universal whole family support that meets families’ where they are at and empowers and equips them to overcome barriers and get them to where they want to be.
These statistics emphasised the importance of respite, free and low cost inclusive/ASN friendly family activities alongside support, information and signposting/referring to the right services for families in Castlemilk and the surrounding area.
To target families we promoted our services to schools, health and social care, The Dixon Community (local carers centre for Glasgow South) as well as organisations based in Castlemilk and networks including Castlemilk Network and Castlemilk Together.
We would have liked to see increased referrals from networks, however, some reflections from the referrals include;
Complex case referrals; caseloads referred by social work appeared to focus on families experiencing extremely complex circumstances. For example, children who have experienced severe trauma and as a result may be struggling to complete a full school timetable, or emotional dysregulation that can result in flight risks or violence. In these cases, we have been required to carefully assess not just that the child will benefit in their own sense of well-being but that we are appropriate and able to ensure a safe environment for them and their peers.
Lack of information for families at the point of referral and/or diagnosis; parent/carers regularly feedback that they are unaware of their ability to access resources and support without a diagnosis e.g. on the diagnosis pathway, such as accessing a carers assessment, or applying for benefits such as the Child Disability Payment. This lack of information also extends to other services such as ourselves that they are able to access. This means that families who perhaps ‘just coping’ or even on the periphery of crisis are not always identified or made aware of the resources that can support them to thrive.
We believe that to truly and effectively target families in need of support that services who are present during these pivotal moments such as GP’s, Health visitors, Schools, nurseries, Child Development Centre’s and Paediatric services and social care need the right information, time and ability to appropriately signpost families going through or receiving a long-term health condition and/or disability diagnosis.
We asked carers ‘What do you think funders, councils and Government need to hear about families' needs when it comes to having a break/respite?:
“They need to understand how mentally physically and emotionally draining it can be to have children with ASN not just for the parents but also for other siblings as well. Having these breaks and funding available can improve the quality of the family life for everyone involved.”
“I think they need to know that this is a “need”. And it’s something that needs to be sustained. Family’s can and do break down when the pressures of life, family, housing, money and other factors pile on. This gives parents and carers a rest or an opportunity to work on other things that keep the family running and as functional as possible.”
“It's difficult for a parent to ask for help or support but knowing your child is in a safe environment while you run errands and even have 5 minutes to collect your thoughts benefits the whole family”
“It's needed so badly. Unless you're in that parent/carers shoes you have no idea how hard their lives can be and it's a 24/7 job. It's in your every thought, to know your children are somewhere safe and looked after really does give you the few moments where you can take a proper breath and get a hot cuppa, or the long needed nap!”
“It's important that the funding is available and carers are able to gain access, Therefore a caring responsibility is 24 hours and people lack family support. Caring day to day can have an impact on the carer's mental health. Having a break/ respite can make a difference for the family and also for the individual your caring for.”
“Children with special needs it helps so much just to get a small break”
“All families deserve a little break time by time. It can be difficult sometimes splitting yourself in half to try and do everything for your children, house, job/education and make time for yourself or to see family/friends. They do say that it takes a village to raise children so I feel that parents/guardians deserve some time to just relax to not just be a parent but to be themself for a little bit to help parents/guardians give the right head space to support their child/children.”
“As a full time carer and parent to two children, I feel that a break away helps greatly with time to reflect and relax away with the children away from our daily lifes but in this day and age and with the current cost of living crisis it is getting more and more difficult to be able to afford breaks away”
“It's so important, I became a kinship carer to my grandson and I really needed that extra support getting him settled in as it all happened so fast, the support needs to be there for families”
“More funding”
Families who were further along in their diagnosis and had accessed other related services such as their local carers centre were the most confident in accessing a new service. Parent/carers with this experience were more vocal in and involved in creating transition plans and what they required from us as a service.
As discussed in the above section, we believe that a large number of families with a disabled child/children are not receiving the support they require as there is a disconnect in information about what is available. Unless a parent/carer feels confident and able to complete their own research, make contact and/or self-refer.
We found that those who were perhaps accessing us as one of their first services outside of the professional health care realm, required more time and support to engage. This was as a result of a variety of things including family trauma and complex family circumstances. Parent/carers who had not had their child in any form of respite or childcare outside of nursery or school were sometimes more anxious about how their child would settle into a service and deal with the transitions of new service or something that was short/inconsistent. In these cases slower transitions were required including support for the parent/carer to build trust and rapport between not only their child but themselves with our service.
As an organisation we have always been committed to providing an inclusive environment for children, young people and their families. Better Breaks has further enabled us to review areas such as; making our environments more inclusive, providing sensory/quiet spaces at family events and the development and enhancement of our Inclusion library. Developing new activities is needed, however as discussed earlier is particularly challenging due to the current recruitment market and the lack of appropriate professional learning recognition from SSSC and Care Inspectorate.
We utilised our existing connections with the following organisations and networks to promote referrals; Social Work, DWP, Health Visitors, Glasgow Helps, Schools, Nurseries, Community Link Practitioners, Local Housing Associations, Castlemilk Parish Church, Castlemilk Together members, Castlemilk Network members, Jobs & Business Glasgow, Food Solidarity ‘Soup-er Heroes’, Glasgow Life (Family Finances Support).
As a result of our work funded by Better Breaks we have began working directly with C.O.J.A.C and The Dixon Community/South Glasgow Carers Centre to facilitate a carers peer support group for carers of children under the age of 18 in the South of Glasgow.
We have explored 3 new opportunities to support families with disabled children in the last year, one of which as described above has had to be refused due to recruitment challenges. The other two are still in the exploratory phases. This is time consuming to do well when the lead officer is doing the research and exploratory work alongside their own core role. We did consider buying in some additional support, however the complexity of understanding what is needed and how to engage effectively with the relevant stakeholders, makes it difficult to find the right people to do that kind of work on a temporary basis. We want to be able to help but once again, having the right people with the right skills makes it difficult and whilst funding is part of that challenge in that it is difficult to secure the right level of funding to pay people appropriately, (e.g. the cap on better breaks has remained the same despite even living wage having increased by 10.1%) it is not the only issue.
This year we were able to secure additional funding to deliver the wider range of family events and family support services, most of these from a range of Trusts, however with competition for funding being significantly greater, more and more funders are putting a cap on the income levels of organisations they will fund which very often excludes medium-sized organisations like Indigo who have grown in order to meet growing need but that does not automatically translate to have lots more disposable income. We expect this will likely curtail our additional Family Support Services in the year ahead.
How The Indigo Childcare Group has benefitted from the funding
C.O.J.A.C and The Dixon Community/South Glasgow Carers Centre to facilitate a carers peer support group for carers of children under the age of 18 in the South of Glasgow.
Indigo is now recognised both locally and nationally for quality delivery of inclusive childcare services which the Better Breaks funding has been a significant factor in developing. At a local level we see this in the form of increased confidence in the capacity to deliver quality services with external partners now approaching Indigo to explore partnerships and/or new services; increased requests for information and/or advice, increased levels of positive feedback from parents as can be seen from the quotes and case studies above and the fact that we currently have a waiting list and increased enquiries based on word of mouth.
At a national level, this strengthened reputation is evident from the Case Study that the Improvement Service has now created based on Indigo’s approach to Inclusive practice, Scottish Government and the Improvement Service inviting Indigo’s CEO to speak at a learning event, an independent organisation in the West Lothian requesting Indigo CEO to speak at a conference on Indigo’s inclusive practice and our Inclusion Co-ordinator being requested to support another third sector organisation to support a family with a child with complex needs to be included in their service.
Project Outcomes
Outcome
23 children and young people felt safe, comfortable, and welcomed into the Indigo community and enjoyed a variety of new and exciting activities with good friends. Although we did not fulfil the full number capacity we were able to provide longer placements and a smoother transition for our children.
Results
83% of parent/carers said their child got to try new activities and experiences
75% of parent/carers said their child made new friendships
75% of parent/carers said their child has become more confident in social/group settings
75% of parent/carers said their child enjoyed telling them about their day at OSC/Indi Youth
83% Have an improved sense of well-being
Case study
“It has improved confidence, helped them feel less isolated, and given them new skills and opportunities that they wouldn’t have gotten otherwise. They have developed and learned skills they will use throughout life.”
“It helps get my oldest out and mixing with other children. Helps him feel more belongs in a club that helps support his needs.”
“It's fabulous service and brings the best out in my child.”
“My daughter gets to spend time away from her brother while pursuing her own interests and being allowed to find her passions and interests in a nurturing environment.”
“I believe Indigo have contributed towards giving my children a good childhood. They relieve stress from quite a stressful family dynamic. It has given them fantastic opportunities during summer holidays and after school, they have learned new skills, grown in confidence and self-esteem.”
“Personal growth”
“They have built so much confidence, made strong relationships with staff and fellow children in the service. Get to try lots of activities they don't get offered at school or we don't have the means to do at home. It's really brought them out their shell.”
“Helps build confidence, building relationships with her peers and staff and learning new social skills”
“Brought him out of his shell, made lots of new friends”
“ Both boys attending have helped them so much in different ways and I have to say how amazing the Indigo staff are and always so helpful/friendly and supportive”.
“My daughter enjoys her time at Indigo she learns new skills and has made new friends”
“I am grateful that my daughter has had the opportunity to get a free funding place at indigo it gives my daughter the chance to meet new people and gain social skills whilst I attended to my partner as I am a full time carer”
Outcome
The carers of the children and young people included in the project accessed opportunities outwith their caring role, helping to increase their quality of life and well-being. Carers felt relaxed to leave their children in our care, enjoy having time to focus on themselves and other things and feel more supported in their role and are physically and emotionally stronger as a result.
Results
83% said they felt like they had more time to do things for themselves
75% Feel more able to make time to see/speak to friends and family
58% Feel more able to enjoy time as a family after having a break
67% accesssed more information about things that can support them as a family
Although we did not set an outcome around employment and education as the priority has been carers accessing respite - 17% were more able to maintain/increase hours in employment or studying, relieving the financial pressures on the family.
Case study
M has two children R (7) and E (4) who attend our Early Years Service and now Out of School Care. She was looking for an out of school care for her older daughter who is awaiting her ASD diagnosis and suffers from anxiety, to enable her to focus on her studies. We asked her what was best for her out of her experience with Indigo; “It's absolutely phenomenal. It's extremely hard being a single parent to additional needs children and knowing that there's somewhere safe for my children to go where they have loads of fun whilst giving me the very much needed respite needed honestly takes such a weight off my shoulders.”
Outcome
The carers of the children and young people included in the project have increased respite opportunities which results in improved wellbeing and more energy for the caring role. Carers feel more informed and supported to sustain their role through access to peer support and support services.
We fulfilled the following targets:
Deliver an affordable and flexible holiday and out of school service where carers feel confident about leaving their children / young people so that they can enjoy respite. Family support and signposting through our Family Support Coordinator who can refer carers to external professionals and organisations with an option for advocacy support. In addition, encourage peer and community support through interaction with Indigo Connects Carers.
Results
67% felt like they had a break from caring, however; 75% Feel more able to catch up with appointments e.g. health
75% Feel more able to catch up on chores/other tasks; 42% Connect with other parent carers/peer learning
We have provided training including 3 sessions of ‘Understanding the Autistic Experience’. This took place with 29 parent/carers and 43 team members attending. The session was 2.5 hours delivered by an autistic facilitator with the aim of attendees having a better understanding of how autistic people experience the world and how as neurotypical practitioners and parent/carers we can support them. Feedback included that they felt like they learned ‘How to interact with/support my autistic son’ and ‘ I learned so much about autistic experience from Scott and how to support children, young people and families in neuro affirming ways and I know I've still got a lot to learn so looking forward to growing more in this journey, thank you so much.’
6 parents/carers who received Better Breaks funding attended one of our training sessions including resilience training and understanding the autistic experience.
One parent commented that she found it ‘very interesting and it made me think that maybe this is something I could actually do as work’. She has now applied for introduction to counselling course and has been accepted as a volunteer for RNIB’
4 parents/carers who received Better Breaks funding regularly attend the carers peer support group.
92% of parent/carers said they received information and support from the FSC
58% received information and support from the inclusion co-ordinator
50% Found more information about things that can support them as a parent carer
Case study
This case study should show how this outcome has resulted in a positive change for an individual, family or group of people. You should refer to how things were before the project for the participant(s) and how things are now as a result of your work.
“It has taken away the worry and pressure with how I would meet the costs.”
C has a son D (9) who has ASD as well as bowel and urinary issues. C has told us she couldn’t afford to access childcare anymore but that D was very distressed about leaving the service as he had just begun to settle and create real friendships. This was causing C a lot of stress and upset, as she found that he had been happier at home since joining OSC and it had improved their relationship, which made her caring role easier. She told us “It's been great, my son is autistic but the funding and indigo have helped massively as I'm a single parent that works and in debt so it's a weight off my shoulders”
“Very helpful - I had to take in my grandson unexpectedly and it was a big change for us and it was difficult. You've been very helpful, advising me of where else I can get support and what I'm entitled like benefits”
When asked how they found the experience of Indigo and Better Breaks funding B, a kinship carer of her grandson M (8) who has down syndrome told us it was “Very helpful - I had to take in my grandson unexpectedly and it was a big change for us and it was difficult. You've been very helpful, advising me of where else I can get support and what I'm entitled like benefits”
“Osc has allowed me to have individual time with my children. I have been able to sleep when my child with disabilities has been awake through the night. I have had the opportunity to gather help from Indigo to support my housing needs and to get the right accommodation for my family. I feel Indigo childcare groups have a lot of information that is hard to find when you need help and support, not just childcare. I know my life wouldn’t be going the way it is if it wasn’t for Indigo, if I have a problem I know where to turn and they help and guide me in the right direction for the right support.”
“I think it is very helpful to families that need a little more support and can have their children attend somewhere that I know they are safe and that they both enjoy. It helps parents feel more confident and supported, it helps struggling parents and single parents be able to have a little break or catch up on things around the house.”
Outcome
Disabled children and young people report that they feel happy attending holiday care / out of school care; they look forward to attending and enjoy the range of activities they take part in which supports their physical health and wellbeing as well as increasing their confidence and social circle. Carers recognise the positive impact of the project on their disabled child /young person enabling them to confidently take time away from their caring role, reducing stress levels, increasing their wellbeing and happiness also.
We fulfilled the following targets:
Deliver an inclusive holiday and out of school service providing fun and challenging activities for disabled children and young people that is responsive to their needs and requests.
Deliver an inclusive, flexible holiday and out of school service where carers feel confident about leaving their children / young people so that they can enjoy respite and refocus for a while on their own needs.
Results
75% Feel more able to catch up with appointments e.g. health
83% of parent/carers say that their child has an improved sense of well-being since attending Indigo
11 Better Breaks families received part of our Christmas Support package, which included a hamper with gift voucher and children’s gifts/toys
11 Better Breaks families received a tailored ‘Cosy Bundle’ via funding from the children’s lottery - this included items such as blankets, hot waters, pyjamas to small appliances including air fryers and dehumidifiers based on family requests/needs
Case study
J and G have 2 children T (3) who is being referred for the ASN diagnosis pathway, and A (8) who has a diagnosis of ASD and is pending an ADHD diagnosis. Giving their children quality bonding time and social opportunities are key for G and J. They have attended our Understanding the Autistic Experience training, while J has attended Resilience training as well as coming along to the carers peer support group. J told us that “The funding we have received and the support has been a life saver for our family. It has helped me with balancing the needs of 2 children with ASN and has helped me spend quality time with both of them. My daughter has a brilliant time at OOSC and really opens up when she comes home. The emotional support we have received from the team is incredible; they go above and beyond to help in any way possible.”