Summary
Our project provides short breaks which are made up of day trips, excursions and fun days available to children and young people with additional support needs and their families. These short breaks take place locally and further afield and aim to improve the families well-being and life balance.
What Short breaks for children & young people with additional support needs and their familieis did
Our short break's delivered this year included a small group outing to Jupiter Wildlife Centre for 2 families in August. In December we provided over 130 tickets for pantomimes over the festive period. For the February weekend we put on two large group trips (around 100 adults and children attended overall) to an inflatable world and dynamic earth. Food drink and transport were provided for all of these trips. We also had a fun day party planned for a Saturday in March however this was cancelled due to COVID-19. This was a silent disco, zoolab, food and drink, party games and prizes, face painter and special guests Elsa, Anna, spiderman and Woody from toy story.
The short break activities were parents/carers and their child with additional needs plus siblings. We identified them through our organisation through peer support groups, social media, our website and also 1:1 support appointments with our parent peer support worker.
To enable the project to be a success all parents/carers need to fill out an application for a space. This enables us to get all details about the family, emergency contact, children's needs and allergies and transport.
We addressed the priority area of complex needs.
Successes include parent's and carers getting peer support themselves and also making friends and acquaintances which improves social isolation. In addition, building confidence as a carer has been a success with many as they previously felt they could not go out with the children and the betterbreaks trips allowed them to do so and built their confidence.
Everything went to plan this year apart from the delay of transport one trip but this was managed by delaying our tours when we got to Dynamic Earth and changing the times.
What Falkirk and Clackmannan Carers Centre has learned
Our project has learned to develop new short breaks activities. Instead of booking somewhere/venue to attend we thought outside the box and thought what would parents and children enjoy? We decided a party, upon feedback from parents. A party that would be enjoyable for both adults and children and ALL ages.
This project has taught us about budgeting well, we spend a lot of time researching venues that provide free admission for carers and discounts for disabilities, as if we can budget well with a trip it will leave more funding to utilise for another trip. Also budgeting a trip to ensure there is enough for transport and food/drink is important.
The project has taught us the importance of reaching out to and engaging with new families. We are always reaching out to those who are new to the carers centre and have not attended betterbreaks trips as we feel they benefit from peer support and need the confidence boost and it can positively impact them a lot in their caring role.
How Falkirk and Clackmannan Carers Centre has benefitted from the funding
The project has strengthened our organisations reputation. Families who have attended cannot fault our service and are extremely grateful and pleased with the trips and often recommend more parent carers to the service because of them. The project has also enabled staff to build their skills and knowledge as many who attend the trips work with adult carers and it widens their experience working with children and parent carers.
Project Outcomes
Outcome
100% of children and young people will have enjoyed the outings
Results
Outcome has met the target and all of the children and young people enjoyed the outings. We handed out evaluation forms for children and young people with facial expression smileys for them to give us feedback with.
Case study
One family attended the pantomimes we had on at Christmas with 2 parents, 2 children. The sibling who is a young carer to her sister rarely gets to enjoy pantomimes as they need to leave due to her sister's additional needs and behaviour and this leads to a lot of guilt for the parents.
During the pantomime staff were able to sit with the sibling when the parents had to go out with the child with ASN and she was able to enjoy the full pantomime which was a positive change.
Outcome
80% of carers will have improved their confidence by meeting other parent carers/ gaining peer support
Results
Upon collecting all info from the evaluations from trips, over 80% stated the trips boosted their confidence and the majority agreed they gained peer support.
Case study
One case study is my parents H and D. They have two young boys with ASD and other additional support needs. Upon meeting them for 1:1 support at the carers centre it was discussed that they lack confidence going out because their boys behaviour was so challenging. They decided always to stay at home because it was easier and it gave them anxiety taking the boys out even when it came to supermarket shopping. They found only one would go out and the other stay at home should they need shopping etc.
They attended two betterbreaks short breaks this year and have felt much more confident in taking their children out and found that actually it is worthwhile trying to go out with them and the worst that can happen is they need to go home and now have their confidence back.
Outcome
100% of carers will have had a break from their caring role
Results
All parents/carers had a break from their caring role on the trips as there was staff there for extra support which enabled the parents to enjoy time away from primary caring role.
Case study
A single mother at Innoflate was able to enjoy 2 hours of time sitting having a coffee and a bite to eat while her children played independantly and staff supported them. This was a break for the mother which benefited her emotional wellbeing and life balance.
Outcome
Families will have improved relationships and support networks
Results
This project outcome was achieved for many families on different outings. For the jupiter wildlife centre, dynamic earth and innoflate, families had the opportunity to interact with each other. Children made friendships, and parents also. This built relationships with other parents and a support network for many that attended.
Case study
Two of the families who attended Dynamic earth now spend time together outside of the carers centre and attend our peer support group together at the carers centre, both of which did not want to attend the peer support group as they did not know anyone so by going together it built their confidence. They now offer each other advise and support.