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BJSW Advance Access originally published online on February 7, 2007
British Journal of Social Work 2008 38(6):1060-1075; doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcl393
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© The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The British Association of Social Workers. All rights reserved.

Family-Based Short Breaks (Respite) for Disabled Children: Results from the Fourth National Survey

Helen Cramer and Jeanne Carlin

Helen Cramer is a Research Associate in the Academic Unit of Primary Care, Department of Community Based Medicine at the University of Bristol. She is currently undertaking observational research on advice giving for over-the-counter complementary medicine and was formerly a Research Associate with Shared Care Network.

Jeanne Carlin is a freelance disability consultant and was formerly a Research Associate with Shared Care Network. She has recently completed a handbook for the Department for Education and Skills to help local authorities and schools ensure that children with complex health needs can access education and childcare. Shared Care Network is a national umbrella organization which promotes family-based short breaks for disabled children in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. This survey research was carried out on behalf of Shared Care Network and was funded by the Big Lottery.

Correspondence to Dr Helen Cramer, Academic Unit of Primary Health Care, University of Bristol, 25–27 Belgrave Road, Bristol BS8 2AA. E-mail: Helen.Cramer{at}bristol.ac.uk


  Abstract

A survey of family-based short breaks for disabled children in the UK was undertaken in order to investigate the state of current services. The research builds on the work of previous surveys and takes the perspective of the service co-ordinators. The findings show that family-based short breaks are rapidly changing and diversifying. The number of schemes with contract carers has gone up and the number of schemes with additional sitting and befriending services has gone down. The reasons for the growth in contract carers are understood better than the reasons for the decline in sitting and befriending. The changing population of disabled children and the increased number of children with complex needs wanting a service are key contributory factors in these trends. The most common profile of children waiting the longest for a service is still teenage boys with autism or ‘challenging behaviour’. Some improvements have been observable in the numbers of families and children from ethnic minorities accessing services. The introduction of Care Standards has received a mixed response. The challenge for short breaks is to be flexible and responsive to the local needs of children and families.

Keywords: family-based short breaks, respite, disabled children, services


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