Quarriers Break-a-way Project - information for parents

What is the Break-a-way Project?
What is family based short breaks?
Who are the children and young people?
Referrals to the project
Who are short break carers?
Deciding on who cares for your child
Reviewing the service
What happens if you're unhappy?
Support to fathers
The Befriending Project

What is the Break-a-way Project?

Break-a-way provides family based short breaks to significantly disabled children and young people aged from birth to 18 years throughout Dumfries and Galloway. We think it's normal for parents and children to have a break from each other and that's where we come in.

Sometimes it's difficult for the parents of disabled children to ask relatives or friends to help them have a break from the responsibilities of being both a parent and a carer. We understand how difficult it is to ask someone else for help, especially when it means handing your child over to another person to care for.

Hopefully we can answer some of the questions you might have about family based short breaks. It won't offer all the answers, so it's important to talk to your social worker or your project worker from Quarriers. Keep asking questions, we're here to help.

What is family based short breaks?

This is just another term for respite. Rather than going into a respite unit, your child will have a break with short break carers who you'll get to know and trust. A short break can be anything from an overnight or a weekend to a full week.

The average level of breaks is 29 overnights a year. This is usually 2 overnight visits a month and a week during the summer holiday period. Breaks can be offered at the weekend, during the week and during in-service days, or midterm breaks from school. Some children have more than 29 overnights and some less. Your social worker will decide, along with you, what would be helpful for you and your child.

Who are the children and young people?

The project supports children and young people with significant disabilities. All have learning disabilities/difficulties and in addition some children also have physical disabilities, hearing, sight problems, sensory or communication difficulties. A large number of the children we work with are diagnosed within the Autistic Spectrum and some children have complex medical needs arising from illness or deteriorating conditions.

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Referrals to the project

Referrals are made to the project by social workers through the Children with Disability Team. Parents, professionals and others are welcome to make informal contact with the project for information.

Who are short break carers?

Short break carers are foster carers approved to provide support in their own home, offering planned, regular breaks to disabled children. By law, short break carers have to be foster carers who are checked, assessed, approved and managed. Some short break carers are single and others have a partner - where this is the case, both go through the same process to become approved as carers. Some carers are parents themselves.

Why are people interested in being a short break carer? Some people have had experience of disability through a family member, or work. Or they may have been through some difficulties within their own life which has helped them develop an empathy and understanding of the needs of others. All of the carers we approve are kind, compassionate and need to demonstrate an ability to positively support children, keep them safe and be able to communicate well with parents, and work as part of a team with the project and our colleagues in health and social services.

We work to a set of standards called 'The Standards on Foster Care and Family Placement' which were published by the Scottish Executive in 2002. The standards are available for you to borrow from the project or you can get a copy from Blackwell's Bookshop by phoning 0131 622 8283. The project is registered as a Fostering Agency by the Care Commission who ensure we meet the required standards. You can learn more about the Care Commission from their website where you can also read inspection reports on registered services - www.carecommission.com or call 0845 603 0890.

Deciding on who cares for your child

Careful matching of children and carers is carried out by the project, in consultation with the Children with Disability Team adn others. Introductions take place at both you and your child's pace. You and your child can have as many day time visits as necessary before you and the carers feel confident enough to try an overnight. During this period, we will offer the carers any specialist training they may need in caring for your child, e.g. epilepsy or autism awareness. If the carer needs specific equipment to support your child we will put this and the necessary training in place - providing we can access the financial help to do this. Project workers spend time with you and your child, getting to know them and helping you prepare them for a short break. We enlist your help and permission to write a Personal Passport, which contains essential information for the carer.

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Reviewing the service

Your social worker will explain that children who stay away from home overnight are reviewed under the 'Looked After Children' (LAC) guidelines. At the beginning of us providing a service, your child's social worker will complete LAC paperwork including a 'Care Plan' which details what your child needs and how we should meet their needs. The service and care plan is first reviewed three months after the first overnight and then every six months to ensure we are meeting your needs.

What happens if you're unhappy?

Problems happens sometimes, for a whole variety of reasons. And when this occurs we want you to feel confident that if you tell us we will try as hard as we can to sort things out. The first thing to do is talk to your project worker, or your social worker if you feel more comfortable. If you prefer, you can talk to the project manager, or someone completely independent such as the PAS Advocacy Service on 01387 247237 or the Care Commission on 0845 603 0890.

What else do we do?

Support to fathers

Since the beginning we have been increasingly aware of how margenalised the fathers of disabled children appear to be. Some fathers expressed an interest in coming together, and in 2002 the project was successful in securing funding from the local Carers Strategy Group to develop a Fathers Group. Initially piloted in Dumfries, the group is open to men who have a fathering role with disabled children and young adults - not just those known to Quarriers.

Groups now run in Dumfries, Stranraer and Upper Nithsdale. There are regulare family events which involve dads and children. Other events included the whole family.

If you're interested in finding out more about the Fathers Groups, give us a ring and we can put you in touch with a male project worker or send you some written information. You don't need to be referred, you can join, leave or dip in and out of the group at any time.

The Befriending Project

In 2005 we started a pilot befriending project for disabled teenagers, aged 12-18, in the east of the region. The project offers a good alternative to those young people who need a different kind of service and helps teenagers learn independent living skills and access social and leisure opportunities. This service is available through the Children with Disability Team.

Please feel free to make contact with us so that we can answer your questions and share more information with you.