Summary
SupERkids provided drama, dance & friendship groups, where young people with multiple support needs develop self-confidence, express themselves & make friends. The clubs allow young people to have independent fun while their parents and siblings have a break from 24/7 caring responsibilities. SupERkids also provided activities for SupERtots - preschool children with multiple support needs and their parents / carers.
What Glee, SupERtots, SupERSaturdays and Monday Club did
This project was ran for SupERkids, namely young people who have disabilities in East Renfrewshire. All the young people who attended our activities have multiple support needs and there are no other mainstream clubs within East Renfrewshire who would accept their unsupported attendance due to their care needs.
Young people with multiple support needs from age 10 attended the Glee Club – a drama based group. They attend the Drama Club every Saturday, rehearse and have fun and finally put on a show of Let it Go in a theatre in front of their family and friends.
Wee Glee and Music club were merged into Monday Club with two sessions were provided- the earlier session for primary aged children and the later session for Secondary aged young people. Cooking, Art, Beauty and Jump clubs were attended.
We asked young people and their parents for feedback and they all stated that they would like more activities at the weekend. SupERkids established SupERSaturday Club in the morning for younger kids from 9.15-10.45am, followed by the Glee Club from 11am-1pm. SupERSaturday Club for the older teenage friendship group followed from 1.30-3.30pm. In addition, we piloted SupERTots where pre schoolers attended with their parents/carers on Saturday from 10.30-12. Each SupERSaturday and SupERTot club was on a rota of dance, sing and sign and sensory storytelling.
SupERkids try so hard to ensure that all kids who want to attend can do, but at times, there are waiting lists and we ensure that the kids on the waiting list are offered an opportunity on other clubs as soon as possible. Apart from SupERTots, all of our clubs are supported - so parents / carers can have a break. Parents fed back that they would spend time with other siblings, go shopping or work from home during the time the kids were at a SupERkids club. We are always amazed at the Glee show and the performance given by the SupERkids - you don't need to be able to walk or talk to be a star in our show and each kid was a star.
What SupERkids has learned
Creativity and personal knowledge of the issues that our families face has also helped SupERkids to respond well to our challenges and we have developed new short break activities to provide some of the most affected children in Scotland with some fun and their parents some desperately needed respite.
SupERkids have learned that we can have more confidence in our abilities to respond. As a wholly volunteer based charity, we frequently question our abilities to meet the needs of our beneficiaries and whether an employee managed service would deliver better outcomes for our children. Having witnessed other service providers retrenching in recent times, we were even more resolved to expand our service provision and deliver the most that could be achieved knowing that the needs of our beneficiaries were greater than ever.
Following on from our revamp, Monday Club is set up with the activity focus changing every 8 weeks, including dance, jump, cooking, and sign and sing. This was time consuming in terms of development and implementation but worthwhile as it allowed us to reach more families and has had great responses from the beneficiaries who have taken part.
How SupERkids has benefitted from the funding
Better Breaks funding has been a foundation upon which SupERkids has been able to demonstrate its worth securing funding from other organisations and in turn allowing us to increase our service provision. It has provided the bedrock of our activities which we have showcased to other funders who have found both the activities and the parent / carer led volunteer based model compelling.
Without the funding from Better Breaks, it is unlikely that other funders would have found our unusual volunteer organisational structure attractive. We have been able to respond flexibly and creatively to the needs of our SupERkids and provide new clubs and activities to some of the most vulnerable in our community.
Project Outcomes
Outcome
Young people will have increased confidence, independence and social interaction from continued attendance at the clubs.
Results
As SupERkids is ran on a voluntary basis by parents of kids with multiple support needs, there is a high level of understanding of what needs to be done, even in changing circumstances.
Monday Club where it was organised with different dance, cooking, art and jump clubs on a 6-8 week cycle to allow more SupERkids to attend. SupERSaturdays ran with two sessions per Saturday for different age groups. Glee Club ran from August to March with the show on 16th March 2024.
We ran 24 Glee, 54 SupERSaturday Clubs, 11 TOTs event as well as 59 Monday Clubs.
Our Clubs provide a safe social environment, which is active, accepting and inclusive and are set up to target the children who want to do these activities but are excluded due to their multiple care needs. We have many 1:1 supports and a few 2:1 supports. SupERkids have never turned away a child from a club as we know as parents that it is often the families that need support that are most in need for both carer and child. Watching the kids blossom with confidence is a gift and the social interaction was enjoyed.
Case study
Unless you are a parent / carer of a disabled child you have no understanding of the isolation felt by both SupERkid and family. Being able to have a club where their needs are the most important issue and that there is staff who are trained and qualified to support your child is crucial to their development and your peace of mind - but it is rare. It is vital that the opinions of parents/carers and kids are highlighted in the report - these are the people who benefit from the service. Some of their words are listed below:
"these clubs are a lifesaver for us. There are no clubs that are safe enough for our daughter to go independently and these clubs are a massive part of her development.
"The clubs help promote X independence and he thoroughly enjoys his clubs. He is aware of what day of the week it is and what his club is and he is so excited to attend.
" I am grateful for the team that spend their time to make this happen. It has such a positive impact on my sons wellbeing and confidence."
"x is very sociable and loves coming to Glee. When he was younger he didn't mix with peers. I truly believe that attending this club has helped so much - he is a social butterfly now"
Outcome
We monitor the number of clubs ran and the number of children in attendance and provid 4055 hours of respite. (we did not add the respite hours for SupERtots as parents stayed with the pre schoolers). Working with parents / carers we will obtain the number and classifications of carers receiving respite, based on the young people who attend.
Results
SupERkids is run for children with support needs by parents and providing activities and respite is the only reason we exist. Our organisation is unusual with no paid administrative employees and no premises or associated overheads. When we defined the purpose of SupERkids, we wanted to ensure that the focus of the group was always to support the ASN kids in our community.
SupERkids provided 4055 respite hours to 125 carers over the year delivering Glee, SupERtots, Monday & SupERSaturday Clubs. Most importantly, both kids and parents have a set period of respite that is scheduled on a weekly basis for a set period of time, and the only reason they will not run is when the facilities are unavailable. We ran 24 Glee, 59 Monday clubs, 54 SupERSaturday events and 11 TOTs over the funding period.
Case study
It is vital that the opinions of parents/carers and kids are highlighted in the report - these are the people who benefit from the service. Their words are listed below:
"these 2 hours at the weekend are so precious. My daughter has fun and is safe to be amongst friends. These kids allow kids to be kids."
"this club is fantastic and plays such an importuner role in developing our daughter and her independence."
“the club allows X independence of being able to attend without myself by his side to supervise. He loves meeting new friends.”
"x's favourite activity is jumping so the club is perfect for her - it helps regulate her and she sleeps well after jump club."
Outcome
Receiving positive feedback from parents and young people is vital to SupERkids. We would expect to receive similar feedback from this program in the future
Results
Disability does not discriminate and many families with disabled children experience financial hardship as well as fewer opportunities for their career and their other children.
Surveys and survey monkeys were sent to all families throughout the year to ensure that the activities provided were meeting the needs of the families. Positive feedback was received and any issues raised were dealt with immediately. We ran 24 Glee, 59 Monday clubs over the funding period and 54 SupERSaturday events and 11 TOTs on a Saturday morning.
One parent said:
"x has little communication skills but the fact that he can go out and spend time with friends, feel safe and understood without me having to be there for him is great. It makes a difference to me because I have to work and have other commitments so that time at a club can give me time to shop which is so difficult with x. We need SupERkids and their support to have the normal things people take for granted."
Case study
The most important objective of SupERkids is to make the kids happy and to give parents and carers some respite. I have listed below a couple of comments made by parents in response to their kids' attendance at the clubs. Helping families and young people on a consistent basis each week provides routine and fun.
“These clubs are wonderful opportunities for our kids and it is great that they are free as it removes financial barriers to participation”
“The clubs are excellent and it gives you peace of mind due to the staff being well trained. This is a huge concern of parents with complex additional needs.”
“a lot of people who don’t live with a SupERkid don’t understand how difficult it really can be when your child is not included. Just knowing X has somewhere to go that’s he’s comfortable and I know he’s safe means the world of difference to us. We need SupERkids and their support to have the normal things people take for granted”
“I just do normal tasks which my daughter finds challenging, like shopping. I have time for myself where I can be me and not a carer, sorry if that sounds selfish but it is exhausting at times. I spend time with my other kids and we go for lunch which is good for them not to be a carer and just be themselves.”
“I have used the time studying for my masters level so I can get work done – so valuable.”
Outcome
The wider community and friends and family will see the young person with multiple support needs achieving through their performance and they will see them become more confident.SupERkids provide activities where the kids with multiple support needs are supported by trained staff.
This makes a huge difference as the staff know how to get the best from the kids and often the behaviour outside the home can be less challenging. Activities that other families take for granted is a lottery for families with a child with complex needs and kids are more accepting of new activities and places when they are with friends. The Glee performance of "Let it go" showed family, friends, teachers as well as our MP, that you don't need to be able to walk or talk to be amazing and confident.
Results
By showing them that young people with complex needs have social skills and can have fun with their peer group and that their happiness can at times be contagious. For these activities to provide young people with the feedback and recognition of their work and achievements and increase the presence of young people with complex support needs in the local community.
Our MP Kirsten Oswald said the following:
"There are no words to describe the brilliant afternoon I have just spent watching the incredible young folk of the SupERKids Glee Club performing High School Musical at Calderwood Lodge Primary School theatre.
What an amazing bunch they are. They were totally amazing. Every single one a star. And a huge bravo also to everyone at the club, and all the staff, helpers, volunteers and parents working with them behind the scenes.
Case study
Families with a child with multiple support needs live a very different life to other families as every little aspect of their life has to be organised. It can be very difficult to be in a new situation and certain aspects of the wider community can be tough to live with. However, allowing our SupERkids time to have activities and be involved in new places is important for both the kids and their families in the future.
The SupERsaturday club allowed SupERkids to come together on a Saturday morning (primary age) and in the afternoon (older group). Friendship groups were made and when possible, the kids went out in the community. Being able to enable kids with multiple support needs to have a social life at the weekend and to have fun independently is at the centre of the ethos of SupERkids and we are so grateful to the Better Breaks Fund that enabled us to provide these clubs and the parents with respite. Comments from parents included:
"the clubs help with his wellbeing as he has little access to activities out of school due to extreme lack of resources and high cost of activities, especially for children with additional support needs.”
“it builds his confidence and mastering a skill while away from myself.”
When X is at the club, I work. I run my own business and do a lot of early mornings and late nights around childcare. SupERkids club allows me to bash through some work during daylight hours.”