Increased Social Engagement for profoundly-disabled young people under 30 and Respite Support for Parents/Carers

Outcome

40 profoundly-disabled young people and their 52 Carers will have accessed previously-inaccessible opportunities and developed improved confidence, inclusion, mental health, support networks, and overall wellbeing.

Results

We ran a wide range of activities and outings for 41 profoundly-disabled young people during which their 56 Carers accessed much-needed regular respite breaks, providing mutually-beneficial but independent opportunities that would otherwise be inaccessible but which has helped both groups feel stronger, better supported, less isolated and lonely, and more positive and resilient. Disabled clients also gained increased independence, life skills, and experiences and Carers reported feeling less stressed and more confident/capable of continuing their caring role. Families also engaged in virtual Family Nights in which they built improved family relationships and strong new friendships/networks that have and will continue to support their overall mental health, resilience, and wellbeing. This has helped combat the increased stress, isolation, and challenges faced when shielding for 2+ years during the pandemic and provided a strong foundation from which families can thrive moving forward.

Case study

D* is profoundly disabilities with multiple serious health conditions. Prior to engaging with our organisation, D had never engaged in social activities with his peers and experienced significant isolation as a result, with the majority of his time spent at home with his parents. Although his parents first self-referred to our organisation in order to access our caring and 1-to-1 independence-building services, we encouraged D to engage in this programme as we felt it would greatly benefit his overall mental health and wellbeing. Whilst he seemed very shy and hesitant to engage in activities at first, D quickly opened up and made fast friends with his Helper and several group members, especially 2 other young men with whom he shared many interests.. It was such a delight to see his confidence grow and personality come out during the activities provided and he especially loved taking part in Crazy Golf, which he had never engaged in, as well as our pub quiz nights. D’s parents also immensely benefitted from having much-needed respite, especially considering the significant stress and challenges faced during the pandemic in which they required to shield with D with 2+ years and provide 24/7 caring without a break, with our activities giving them time to have date nights and meet up with friends. D and his parents also engaged in our fortnightly virtual Family Night activities during which they made several new friends with whom they’ve continued to meet with outwith the service, giving them unique opportunities to share their experiences and overall peer support which has and will continue to support their overall mental health and wellbeing.
As part of their final evaluation,
- D advised “You’ve honestly helped me loads. I felt so alone before and had no friends but [MTP] has given me so many opportunities and I’ve made loads of friends. This has given me something to look forward to and I just love feeling a part of something. Thanks for everything”
- His parents said “I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done for [D] and us. We love D but recognise that we aren’t in a position to support and be with him in a way that you can. You and the team can play and laugh with him in a way we cannot. You’ve really helped him break out of his shell and have been his guides in the big world outside. It’s just amazing to see him enjoy and thrive in the opportunities you’ve given him and I’m so thrilled to see him continue to grow. We can never thank you enough for all that you do.”

Outcome

52 Carers will have accessed regular respite breaks to focus on their own wellbeing, spend time with family/friends, and access community activities that were previously inaccessible due to their caring role. As a result, they’ll feel better supported, less isolated and stressed, and more resilient

Results

We ran a wide range of activities and outings for 41 profoundly-disabled young people during which their 56 Carers accessed much-needed regular respite breaks, providing mutually-beneficial but independent opportunities that would otherwise be inaccessible but which has helped both groups feel stronger, better supported, less isolated and lonely, and more positive and resilient. Carers were able to relax, spend time with family/friends, access community services, etc., and reported feeling less stressed and more confident/capable of continuing their caring role. Families also engaged in virtual Family Nights in which they built improved family relationships and strong new friendships/networks that have and will continue to support their overall mental health, resilience, and wellbeing. This has helped combat the increased stress, isolation, and challenges faced when shielding for 2+ years during the pandemic and provided a strong foundation from which families can thrive moving forward

Case study

G* has 3 children: 1 has mild learning disabilities, 1 is able-bodied and 1 is 22 with profound disabilities [B] for which G is the primary Carer. B has truly flourished as a result of the social activities and overall support we’ve provided her as part of this programme, with B gaining several new friends, key life skills, and increased independence. G recognised that most of his time was spent on supporting B as a result of her additional support needs and he worried that his other 2 children felt overlooked as a result. Knowing that his disabled daughter was safe and well looked-after in our activities therefore enabled G to both spend more quality time with his other 2 children and explore new interests, with all 3 accessing new activities included clay-making and go-karting for the first time which helped G feel less stressed/worried about his overall parenting role. G and his wife were also able to arrange for family to care for their other 2 children during one of the extended day trips we provided to Lochgoilhead, giving the parents an entire day to themselves which they hadn’t had for a long time. G, his wife, and B also took part in our virtual Family Night sessions, helping them build stronger relationships and new connections/networks with other families.
G advised: “Being involved in the Michael Tracey Project has given [B] so many great activities and options plus it’s given us comfort and reassurance that he’s having fun and growing as his own person. It’s been really great having time to relax and unwind for a few hours at a time and spend more quality time with my wife and other children. It’s also been really great to talk with other Parents that have gone through the same things as us. I really think that all of us feel better as a family.”

Outcome

52 Carers will have accessed regular respite breaks to focus on their own wellbeing, spend time with family/friends, and access community activities that were previously inaccessible due to their caring role. As a result, they’ll feel better supported, less isolated and stressed, and more resilient

Results

We ran a wide range of activities and outings for 41 profoundly-disabled young people during which their 56 Carers accessed much-needed regular respite breaks, providing mutually-beneficial but independent opportunities that would otherwise be inaccessible but which has helped both groups feel stronger, better supported, less isolated and lonely, and more positive and resilient. Families also engaged in virtual Family Nights in which they built improved family relationships and strong new friendships/networks that have and will continue to support their overall mental health, resilience, and wellbeing. This has helped combat the increased stress, isolation, and challenges Carers faced when shielding and providing non-stop care for 2+ years during the pandemic, with Carers reporting feeling better supported, less stressed, revitalised, and more confident/capable of continuing their caring role moving forward

Case study

M* has physical and learning disabilities along with diabetes and epilepsy and is cared for by his single mum. During our initial evaluations, M’s mother advised that she’d recently been diagnosed with depression which she felt was a direct result of the increased challenges caused by the pandemic and from providing non-stop care on her own without a break throughout this period and admitted to feeling like she had no life outwith work and her caring role. It was also clear that M desperately wanted to build more independence and become, in his own words, “a real man” which his mother actively supported, both to relieve some of her stress and to support his overall personal growth as a young adult. Whilst M engaged in our fun activities and outings, M was able to meet up with some old friends that she hadn’t seen since before the pandemic, giving her invaluable independent time to herself in which she could focus on her own wellbeing. We also helped her access low-cost spa therapies which helped her to further de-stress and supported her wellbeing. M’s mother also made fast friends with 2 other mums during the fortnightly virtual Family Nights we provided as part of this project and with whom she speaks with every week. These new friendships have enabled all 3 mums to share their experiences, laugh and cry together, and share peer support, helping them feel stronger and more confident in continuing their caring roles. Overall, M’s mother reported feeling better supported, less stressed, less lonely, and more positive as a result of our programme, helping her continue her caring role.
When asked what impact she felt our support has had on her and M’s life, she advised “Where do I begin. This has given us all connections and friendships we simply wouldn’t have had before and both myself and [M] would have continued to be isolated without this. It’s truly made a huge genuine difference in my life and it’s been amazing to see [M] grow as a young adult and become more independent. Thank you for everything you’ve given us.”