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.
We addressed four areas:
Need
• What is the extent of the need for respite services?
• What kind of service and in what form, are carers looking for?
Experience
• Who currently is receiving (or not receiving) respite care?
• For those in receipt of respite, what kind of service do they receive?
• How satisfied are they with the current service?
• How easy is it for them to access respite services?
• What problems have they encountered?
• For those not receiving respite services, why is this?
Provision
• What is the extent, nature and quality of current respite provision in
Clackmannanshire?
• How well (or badly) does it meet the needs and aspirations of families?
Good Practice
• What should a model respite service look