Evidence of impact of short breaks (respite care)

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.

A little break would be nice: a report on the respite needs of carers of adults with a learning disability living in the family home

The overall aim of our inquiry was to examine respite provision in Clackmannanshire for carers of adults with learning disabilities living in the family home and to look at examples of good practice in other areas. For the purpose of our study we defined respite care as short-term care that helps a family take a break from the daily routine and stress. It can be provided in the family home or in a variety of out-of-home settings and involve either time apart or time together with extra support.

Using vouchers to increase access to short breaks: findings of pilot study Falkirk Council

This pilot project was set up by Falkirk Council to determine whether the use of vouchers for short breaks could help to address the low uptake of short breaks among people with severe and enduring mental illness and their carers, and also to provide an alternative to Direct Payments. The project was developed in response to:

Short Breaks Fund: Round 2 evaluation report

The Short Breaks Fund represents a substantial investment by the Scottish Government in the development of short breaks’ provision. Scottish Government, Shared Care Scotland and the National Carer Organisations group are keen to make sure that there is a legacy from this investment, not simply in the form of additional or new short break services, but through better knowledge about what works well in short break services, and about what carers and those they care for need and value.
This report evaluates the impact of funding on 58 projects and...

Picking up the pieces: supporting carers with emergency planning

This report presents the findings of research carried out by ENABLE Scotland between April 2011 and April 2012 with the aim of improving knowledge and understanding of emergency planning for carers in Scotland, particularly within the wider context of Carer’s Assessments.

The report has two main objectives:

1. To establish the provision of support to carers with emergency planning across all local authority areas, highlighting examples of good practice and producing recommendations based on the findings.

2. To explore the role of sibling carers.

Rest assured? A study of unpaid carers' experiences of short breaks

This report describes the findings of research carried out between August and December 2011 into the experiences of unpaid carers in accessing and using short breaks (respite care). The study explored, from the carers’ perspective the benefits of short breaks (provided by formal services and family and friends), good practice in planning and provision, deficits and areas for improvement. Research findings are based on 1210 responses to a Scotland-wide survey distributed through carer organisations, four focus groups involving 36 carers and 13 interviews.

Preventing loneliness and social isolation: interventions and outcomes

This is one in a series of research briefings about preventive care and support for adults.
Prevention is broadly defined to include a wide range of services that:
• promote independence
• prevent or delay the deterioration of wellbeing resulting from ageing, illness or disability
• delay the need for more costly and intensive services.

Short Breaks Fund: Round 1 evaluation report

The Short Breaks Fund was launched in November 2010 and has been made available through funding from the Scottish Government in recognition of the important contribution which carers make in caring for a loved one, and the vital role breaks play in sustaining carers and those they care for.

With a foreword by Minister for Public Health Michael Matheson this report considers what projects from the first round of funding have achieved, and captures their challenges and from this to considers what learning can be taken forward into future funding allocations.

A guide to developing a short break bureau

Shared Care Scotland exists to promote the development of more imaginative, personcentred approaches to short breaks and respite care. The carers and service users we speak to are looking for quality services which offer choice, flexibility and reliability; a range of services that meet different needs and circumstances rather than a ‘one size fits all’ approach. The development of Short Break Bureaux in Scotland, involves collaborative working between the statutory and voluntary sector. This guide provides a model of service planning.