Respite
Respite care enables children with special educational needs and disabilities to integrate into the community, broaden their life experiences, make new friends and engage in a range of different activities.
It also gives parents and carers the opportunity to benefit from a short break from their caring responsibilities.
Swindon Home and Away Scheme
The Home and Away Scheme is designed to support parents and carers by providing respite from the complex demands of caring for a child with special educational needs and disabilities, thus enabling the child to continue living at home with their family.
Home and Away Scheme
Each child spends a short time with a “Home and Away Foster Carer” in the carer's home. This might be for a few hours, an overnight stay or a weekend. Parents can relax in the knowledge that their child is being looked after well and is also being given the opportunity to build valuable relationships with other people in a secure and friendly environment.
How to Access the Service
The Home and Away service can be requested by the parents and families of children with disabilities. With the parents’ agreement, any childcare practitioner or professional who is involved with the family can also refer to the service.
Following a request or referral, a full needs’ assessment of the disabled child and the family is carried out to ascertain whether the service is appropriate. It also ensures that enough information is gathered to match the child with the most suitable Home and Away Foster Carer.
To request an initial assessment, please contact the Family Contact Point:
Family Contact Point
Links
Hop Skip and Jump: A charity that provides immediate and flexible day and evening respite care to children and adults with special needs, life limiting illnesses and disabilities, no matter how complex.
Respite in the Marketplace
Hop Skip and Jump
Fostering and Adoption with Swindon
Short Breaks for Disabled Children
Complex Health and Palliative Care