Young peoples respite care
The council plans to develop traditional respite care into specific activities which will promote independence and also create an advice and support service for the young people and their carers.
The decision to seek a provider for this has been made after a year of work carried out with parents of disabled children and young people to understand what they need and what can be done better.
The current service is mostly based on giving parents and carers a break from their role, either by accommodating children away from home or providing a sitting-type service.
However, families felt this time away from home would be better used to begin preparing a young person to be independent in the future. Young people also told the council they wanted the opportunity to meet up with friends during this time, perhaps with the support of a buddy or assistant.
A council spokesman said: “The aim of the procurement decision is to ensure there is a range of different options available, focused on parents receiving the break they need and children work to be as independent as they possibly can in the future.”
It is also hoped the redeveloped service will improve a person’s transition into adult services, which can sometimes be quite disruptive. This will include supporting them in accessing further education and work as well as support to help them live independently.
