Summary
Our project ran from Barrhead, Neilston, Haghill and Cardonald area. It involved running a range of positive activities that enabled vulnerable children/young people under 18 to safely connect with their peer/social groups whilst their Parents/Carers received regular respite breaks: tackling the wider isolation/loneliness and other on-going challenges faced and improving their inclusion, confidence, resilience, and overall wellbeing.
What Include Me 2 Club – Childrens Clubs and Activities did
This funding period allowed us to offer an evolving programme of targeted activities improving the lives of disadvantaged children/YP with disabilities/multiple ASN and their Parents/Carers.
Throughout the year we delivered:
5x weekly outdoor pop-up play sessions where children under 12 engaged in a mixture of den building, obstacle courses, messy play and outdoor education etc. Some of these alternated between outdoor/indoor dependant on the weather at certain times of the year. Based in Auchenback, Cowan Park, Dunterlie, Cardonald and Neilston.
1 weekly cooking session where small groups of youth aged 12-18 engaged in the opportunity to experience and try new foods, learn preparation techniques and valuable life skills. This session was situated in Cardonald.
3x weekly indoor juniors ASN play sessions where groups of children under 12 engaged in free play as well as set activities such as messy play, arts and crafts, baking, sports, music, mobile petting zoo and trips. These sessions were based in Haghill, Neilston and Barrhead.
3x weekly baby and toddler sessions that engaged parents and young children in activities that included soft play, colouring and painting crafts, music, messy play etc.
In addition to this we also took a group of 12 children to a residential trip with the support of our partner organisation Hopscotch. The children and carers benefited with this by allowing a week of independence for the children resulting in a week of respite for the parents.
Each session supported 20-25 disabled children/YP and offered a variety of activities such as lego play, arts/crafts, messy play, outdoor play, science experiments, group games, adapted sports, animal petting zoo visits, local emergency service visits, gaming, dancing, singing etc.
Parents also benefited by having the opportunity to access regular and ongoing respite breaks. This gave them the time to recharge and focus on their own wellbeing whilst knowing that their children were safe, cared for, and happy in the sessions provided. Parents can use this time to go to the gym, grab a coffee, get some shopping, go a walk etc.
What Include Me 2 Club SCIO has learned
We have learnt that delivering a variety of services is key to the success of providing regular respite. A one size fits all approach does not work for many as some YP require a structured approach while others require a free play approach. By allowing a variation of both we find there is at least one of our clubs which can provide regular respite to the parents/ carers of the YP.
We have also found that as demand increases for our clubs due to recognition of our services- we need to start to priorities those who need it most. This is working out a blend of priorities which involves support for the YP along with respite for parents/carers. We have also learned to work with other organisations during the delivery of programmes through school holiday periods. We have engaged in partnership with education departments who support our work by providing a PSA. The PSA can cater for those who require personal support/medication. This approach has allowed us to work with those who require our services but have not been able to date due to limitations such as personal care/medication or support worker costs, allowing for us to support more children and young people. We will continue to work with the local authority to enhance more of our services beyond holiday periods
How Include Me 2 Club SCIO has benefitted from the funding
Our organisation has benefitted by being able to establish ourselves in the local authorities in which we deliver our work. We have built great working relations with council leaders, MP's MSP and other voluntary organizations. This has further strengthened our reputation with our local authorities who recognise the outstanding work we deliver on a regular basis. We have many requests to expand into other geographical areas which we have been considering to deliver if we are able to gain the support we require to do so.
Project Outcomes
Outcome
Disabled children and young people (aged 20 and under) will have more opportunities to have fun, develop friendships and do activities they enjoy.
Results
181x Children and young people have engaged in a range of inclusive recreational/sport activities that are otherwise inaccessible but through being able to attend they have gained life skills, positive friendships and improved confidence and resilience. All Children/YP reported feeling happier, less and isolated and more positive. This was achieved across our variety of services and clubs maximising the opportunities available and allowing a freedom of choice which results in parents and carers feeling positive as they gain regular respite. The various clubs included free play, arts/crafts,sports and cooking. All of these activities enabled the children and young people to gain friendships, learn social skills and also transferable life long skills such as cooking, food hygiene and prep.
Case study
Within the sessions that IM2C run we believe in delivering a person-centred and holistic approach to running the activities. We find this helps the members to have as much fun as possible and helps the individuals to grow and develop different skills including making friends. One example of this is in the youth cooking club where we have recently brought in a team game at the beginning and end of each session. This has resulted in the group not only having the opportunity to learn how to cook different meals during the session but has also created a group/team environment where everyone feels included and new friendships have formed. Before doing these team games some of the members hardly interacted with their peers in the group and would only speak to them if they needed something e.g. “pass me the bowl please”; now however this member is seen playing games with and chatting to the other members and telling them about his week away from the group.
Outcome
Carers of disabled children and young people (aged 20 and under) will have more opportunities to enjoy a life outside of their caring role
Results
Around 270 parents and carers of disabled children/yp have received regular respite breaks and time to focus on their wellbeing. As a result, parents and carers reported feeling less isolated and more resilient and positive about the future helping them better manage their on-going caring responsibilities. Due to the variety of clubs on offer for the YP to engage in this resulted in all individuals that were referred/self referred found a club that they would like to attend regularly. We have successfully went above our target of regular respite to 220 parents/carers.
Case study
“I like meeting new people at juniors” “I love doing messy play as I don’t get to do it at home”
This project has allowed for not only regular respite for parents but also siblings of disabled children that attend our sessions. A young carer S aged 11 has two younger siblings one with ADHD (aged 8) and the other with Autism (Aged 10) that both require a lot of support and attention. S struggles to spend time with children her age and have the chance to be a child herself as she spends a lot of her time helping to care for her siblings. Through attending our junior’s sessions regularly S has been able to socialise with her friends engaging in a mixture of activities away from her caring role resulting in S having time for herself, being able to connect with her peers, and overall being happier through having this opportunity. Through our variety of options in sessions S can attend sessions with her siblings along with without her siblings. At a session where her siblings are there they all get to engage in their own activities different from one another and can still engage with their own friend groups in the one space due to the options we have available within sessions as they are not fixed and are flexible in our approach.
Outcome
Carers of disabled children and young people (aged 20 and under) will feel better supported to sustain their caring role
Results
Around 270 Parents and Carers of disabled children/YP have received regular respite breaks and time to focus on their own wellbeing. As a result, Parents/Carers reported feeling less isolated and more resilient and positive about the future: helping them better manage their on-going caring responsibilities. Due to the vast variety of clubs on offer for the YP to engage resulted in all those who were referred/ self-referred to find a club/activity they would like to attend regularly. We have successfully achieved our target in providing regular respite to over 220 parents/carers. Majority of parents/carers of the YP have also formed friendships which allow them to be better supported and connected to help sustain their caring role.
Case study
“It is amazing what yous do, there is nothing else like this”
S is a mother of 2 boys (ages 9 and 10) both with Autism. She struggles with social anxiety and finds it hard to engage with other parents usually. Since her boys started attending one of our juniors sessions weekly, S has been able to chat to the other parents of the children who also attend this session. The parents from this group have even started sometimes going for a coffee while the children are at the session offering support and advice to one another allowing them to ease some of their stresses and worries. S has expressed to staff as well how helpful they are whenever she has a query or concern, they are there to reassure her and point her in the right direction. This allows S to have people to turn to when needed and a support network making her more equipped and overall, in a better mood to care for her boys as she gets her time to relax while knowing her boys are safe and enjoying themselves at their club weekly.
Outcome
Disabled children and young people (aged 20 and under) and their carers will have improved wellbeing
Results
Over 181 x children/YP with disabilities/multiple ASN and around 270 Parents/Carers have been supported to safely reconnect with their peer/social groups, get back out into the community, access a range of opportunities that are otherwise unavailable, and build new skills and support networks. As a result, children with disabilities/multiple ASN and their Parents/Carers have visibly improved health and wellbeing and build positive new support networks: improving their long-term resilience and wellbeing. All Children/YP reported feeling happier, less isolated, and more positive. this outcome was achieved over a variety of different services and clubs to maximize the opportunities and to allow a freedom of choice allowing parents and carers to feel positive during their regular respite. Parents reported using this time to catchup on chores, go to gym, walks, shopping or just talk to peers. All those involved experienced improved wellbeing in many different forms.
Case study
“This group is a godsend, it gives me chance to have some me time and also get the house clean and shopping done, while I know my son is safe, happy, and having fun in his groups. He always comes home saying he has had fun.” This quote from one of the parents whose son attends the Tuesday night youth club, shows that the groups we run not only provide a safe space for the members to come and have fun but also provides vital respite for the parents/carers/family members of the attendees as well. The son mentioned in the comment above first came to the group he was shy, hardly spoke to anyone and just wanted to go home. Now, however, he has a small group of friends, moans when he has to go home and enjoys playing games and suggesting things for the group to do. The wellbeing of the members and families is important in everything that we do at IM2C. In sessions we provide activities that are fun and engaging that capture all aspects of wellbeing. We also provide all groups with healthy and varied snacks during the sessions.