Shared Care Scotland

A collection of good practice examples in short breaks and respite care.

Give us a break

Report by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign into the lack of age appropriate short breaks (respite care) provision for disabled young adults with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and other neuromuscular and long-term conditions.

Third national personal budget survey

Personal budgets are now a core part of social care and will be an increasingly significant part of the future of healthcare and education for many. We have moved on from their introduction in the Putting People First concordat in 2007 with an expectation that 30% of people would be using them by 2011 – to the Care Act requirement that all eligible people should hold one.

This research is from England carried out by In-Control to evidence the impact of personal budgets on those who use them and services.

Creative Breaks 2012-13: Evaluation of Time to Live projects

The Time to Live strand is part of the Creative Breaks programme and awards grants directly to individual carers so that they can arrange and pay for the short break that suits them best. In 2011 the Time to Live strand was piloted with 12 organisations who offer support to carers based upon geographical boundaries. In 2012 the application was extended to include organisations with a national, condition specific focus. This evaluation examines the projects running from October 2012 through to September 2013.

Greening dementia: A literature review of the benefits and barriers facing individuals living with dementia in accessing the natural environment and local greenspace.

In 2012 Natural England commissioned Dementia Adventure (a Community Interest Company which connects people living with dementia, with nature and a sense of adventure) to review the existing evidence of the benefits and barriers facing people living with dementia in accessing the natural environment and their local green space.

Equal and expert: 3 best practice standards for carer engagement

No one would argue that unpaid family carers should not be equal partners in care, as their care constitutes over 50% of all care provided in every local authority and NHS region of Scotland. Consistent and meaningful carer engagement must therefore be at the heart of all good health and social care policy. But a great gulf remains between good intentions and good practice. The Coalition of Carers in Scotland is pleased to o!er the carer engagement standards in this document as a bridge to help planning o"cers and commissioners of services move from good intentions to better practice.

The impact of disability on the lives of young children: Analysis of growing up in Scotland data

This research project was commissioned by Scottish Government Children and Families Analysis with the objective of undertaking an in-depth analysis of data from the Growing Up in Scotland study (GUS) to examine the circumstances and outcomes of children living with a disability in Scotland. The overall aim of this analysis was to explore the impact of disability on the child, their parents and the wider family unit.

Better Breaks: Round 1 evaluation

The Better Breaks programme awarded its first grants in March 2012. 51 grants, totalling £1,121,602 were distributed to projects across Scotland so that these projects could deliver quality short breaks for children and young people with disabilities which would be tailored to their needs whilst giving their families a break from caring.
The evaluation was based on information provided by the funded projects through their applications, their End of Grant reports, any supporting materials provided, selected telephone calls and review of the Shared Stories films.

It always comes down to money. Recent changes in service provision to disabled children, young people and their families in Scotland

Services for disabled youngsters and their families have declined significantly across Scotland as the impact of public sector cuts is felt, according to a new report produced for Scotland’s Commissioner for Children & Young People.

It Always Comes Down to Money examines changes in the availability and accessibility of publicly-funded services for families with disabled children over the past two years.