Orkney Health and Care

Short Breaks Statement

2019

Background
Purpose
Eligibility
Definition
Outcomes
Support Available
Charging Policy
Feedback, Monitoring and Review
Glossary

This document is also available in large print, other formats and languages on request. Please email: OHACfeedback@orkney.gov.uk

1. Background

This statement is required by section 35 of the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016. The aim is to assist carers and people with support needs to understand:

What short breaks are.
Who can access them.
What short breaks are available in Orkney and across Scotland.
How to access short breaks and find further information.

A short break (sometimes called respite) is a form of support to allow a carer to have a break from their caring role, to have a rest, relax and feel able to continue caring. The type of short break depends on the carer’s needs and outcomes in an Adult Carer Support Plan (ACSP) or Young Carer Statement (YCS) that meet local eligibility criteria and, also, short break services that are available to all (universal services).

2. Purpose

The purpose of a short break is to support the caring relationship and promote the health and wellbeing of the carer, the person they care for and other family members. Breaks from caring may:

Be for short or extended periods.
Take place during the day or overnight.
Involve the person with support needs having a break away from home, allowing the carer time for themselves.
Allow the carer a break away with replacement care in place, if needed.
Take the form of the carer and the person they care for having a break together.
Provide a break from a carer’s normal caring routine or role.
Allow carers to have a life outside or alongside their caring role. (For young carers, this includes the right to be a child first, rather than being a carer first with a life alongside caring).

3. Eligibility

The Carers (Scotland) 2016 Act defines a carer as an individual who provides or intends to provide care for another individual (the cared-for person). The carer is not providing care as part of a contract or voluntary work with the cared-for-person.

The definition of a young carer in the Act is: under 18 years old or; has attained the age of 18 years while a pupil at a school and has since attaining that age remained a pupil at that or another school.

From 1st April 2018, local authorities and partnerships must provide support to the carer based on their identified needs, which meet local eligibility criteria. The caring situation, the impact of caring on the carer’s quality of life and the risk of the carer not being able to continue caring is discussed in the ACSP or YCS. These areas, or quality of life indicators form the framework for an eligibility criteria for adult carers to access social care services and have been agreed nationally as:

Health and Wellbeing.
Relationships.
Living Environment.
Employment and Training.
Finance.
Life Balance.
Future Planning (including planning for emergencies).

The adult carer indicators have been adapted to better fit young carers and the Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC) Wellbeing Indicators. The young carer indicators are:

Safe/Living Environment.
Healthy.
Achieving/Education.
Nurtured/Relationships.
Active/Life Balance.
Respected/Responsible.
Included/Finance.

In Orkney, the threshold for eligibility is moderate and substantial impact. This means that adult and young carers assessed with substantial or critical impact or risk needs, in any of the specified quality of life indicators or wellbeing indicators, will be eligible for further support.

Orkney Health and Care Social Work (01856 873535) should be contacted to request an ACSP or YCS to identify the carer’s needs, personal outcomes and any advice, information and support to be provided on short breaks. Not all carers will choose to accept the offer of an ACSP or YCS and may be directed to advice and information on short breaks.

The type of short break depends on the carer’s needs and outcomes determined after the completion of an ACSP or YCS. The Lead Assessor (LA) will apply the eligibility criteria and must provide support to the carer based on their identified needs which meet local eligibility criteria. The LA will discuss Self-directed Support and the four Options, to provide choice and control over the type of short break, to meet the identified needs and personal outcomes of carers who meet the eligibility criteria and need a budget.

A number of carers already benefit from short breaks through services being available for the person they care for. This directly provides carers with breaks from caring and time for themselves. As traditional respite is not everyone’s first choice of support, the Carers Act allows flexibility to empower carers’ choices, and apply the principles of the Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013.

Replacement Care

Care normally provided by the carer may need to be replaced to make a break possible from caring, where it meets the carer’s identified needs. Replacement care and statutory support may be dependent on local eligibility criteria. There may be limited access to suitable replacement care. Sometimes replacement care may allow a carer to access universal services, so extra short break funding is not needed. At other times, a funded short break may not be needed if the right care is provided to the person they care for.

The Relationship Between Planned Short Breaks and Emergency Breaks

It is important for people to have access to emergency support if they need replacement care at very short notice. To minimise any stress caused by emergencies, plans should be prepared in advance. Orkney Health and Care can support carers to develop an emergency plan that includes any options for emergency respite cover. This will be particularly important for any carers at increased risk, because of their own health or caring circumstances.

4. Definition

The Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 does not provide a legal definition of short breaks, but Annex C of the Statutory Guidance states:

“A short break is any form of service or assistance which enables the carer(s) to have periods away from their caring routines or responsibilities”.

Through an agency specialising in breaks for people with particular needs.
Adapted accommodation.
Hotels and guest houses with additional equipment, if needed.

More mainstream breaks may also be possible with the support of a paid carer or companion.

A short break should be personalised, may be creative, and have different meanings for each individual carer. Some suggestions by carers for short breaks have included:

“I have been thinking of learning something new or taking up a new hobby”

“I like the idea of meeting up with other carers”

“I would like to go away for a break in a hotel”

“Doing something together with the person I care for is important to me”

5. Outcomes

Carers will be supported to identify the need for, and potential benefit of, having a short break. The outcomes of a short break will be personal to each carer and the person they care for, but may include:

Having more opportunities to enjoy a life outside or alongside the caring role.
Feeling better supported.
Improved confidence e.g. more confident as a carer.
Increased ability to cope.
Reduced social isolation and loneliness e.g. increasing social circles, connections and activities.
Increased ability to maintain the caring relationship - and sustain the caring role.
Improved health, wellbeing and quality of life.
Reduced likelihood of breakdown of the caring relationship and crisis.

Examples of Short Breaks

Jean (carer) used her fund to pay a substitute carer to be with Robert so that she could spend the day minding her grandchildren. The intended outcomes are for Jean to feel less stressed, maintain a positive relationship with Robert, and have the opportunity to access activities that promote Jean’s physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.

Daniel, a young carer, has trampoline sessions arranged for him. The intended outcomes are for him to enjoy activities of his choice, thereby reducing his feelings of worry because of the impact of his caring role, to have some ”me time” and access opportunities in his community.

6. Support Available

Crossroads

Website: http://www.crossroadsorkney.co.uk/pg/centre.html

Crossroads provides a free information service, available to anyone living in Orkney. They provide information on resources available and what is on offer in the local area including support, social groups, community activities, support agencies and one-off requests.

To find out more, please contact Crossroads: Telephone: 01856 870500 Email: carers@crossroadsorkney.co.uk

Day Services

Short breaks from caring may involve the person being cared for, going to day services. Day services for adults with disabilities and day care for older people, aged 65 or over, provide a range of opportunities including social activities. For more information please contact the local Adult Social Work Duty: 01856 873535

Orkney Islands Council Leisure, Sport and Culture

There are opportunities that focus on particular leisure, sport, culture activities and holiday programmes:

Active Schools - Aims to offer school-aged children the motivation and opportunities to adopt active and healthy lifestyles. These opportunities are available before, during and after school, as well as in the wider community. Developed in partnership between Sport Scotland and all local authorities in Scotland.
Active Orkney - is a scheme which makes it easier and cheaper to use Council sports and leisure facilities.
Sports and Activity Charges - Low Income Benefit Prices - concessions are available to carers getting the Carers Allowance. Other concessions may apply.

National Information or Directories and Additional Resources

ALISS

Website: https://www.aliss.org/

ALISS (A Local Information System for Scotland) aims to increase the availability of health and wellbeing information for “people living with long term conditions, disabled people and unpaid carers”. It supports people, communities, professionals and organisations that have information to share.

Euan’s Guide

Website: https://www.euansguide.com/

Euan’s Guide is a review website which gives disabled people with accessibility issues the opportunity to rate the places they visit. Euan’s Guide aims to “remove the fear of the unknown” and inspire people to try new places. The foundation of Euan’s Guide is its community of independent reviewers, who share their photos and experiences of restaurants, hotels, train stations, attractions and places of interest they may have visited.

Family Fund

Website: https://www.familyfund.org.uk/Pages/Category/using-your-grant

Family Fund is the UK’s largest charity providing grants for families raising disabled or seriously ill children and young people. They are able to consider grants for personalised family breaks in the UK and abroad through their contracted provider, Inspire. Inspire work with over 300 agencies and tour operators to bring a wide variety of family break options, in the UK or overseas. Any break booked through Inspire must include the main carer and the child applied for. Additional family members and carers may also be included in the booking.

Ogilvie Charities

Website: https://www.ogilviecharities.org.uk/

The Ogilvie Charities offer grants to assist carers who may need a break from caring. All applications for aid need to be made through a social worker, community nurse or similar professional agency. Telephone: 01394 388746.

PAMIS (Promoting a More Inclusive Society)

Website: http://pamis.org.uk/services/family-support-service/pamis-breaks/

PAMIS Breaks have two options for holidays and respite breaks. PAMIS give priority to families and carers of a person with profound and multiple learning disabilities at a preferential rate.

Respite Association

Website: http://www.respiteassociation.org/

The Respite Association may provide free holidays for carers in their lovely static caravan sited at the Richmond Holiday Centre in Skegness. The holidays are for the carer, not the person they care for. Telephone: 01775 820176.

Shared Care Scotland

Website: https://www.sharedcarescotland.org.uk/

Shared Care Scotland aims to improve the quality and provision of short breaks in Scotland, and offers an online short breaks directory. Telephone: 01383 622462.

IMAGE: The page image reproduces the Shared Care Scotland entry, sections 7 and 8, and the beginning and continuation of the glossary. The text is legible and is transcribed in the corresponding sections and table below.

7. Charging Policy

Support is provided free of charge where an adult carer is assessed as having eligible needs, not met by the support for the cared-for person.

The Carer Practitioner will decide if any of the charges will be waived, under the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016, where the adult carer’s eligible needs are already being met by the support for the cared-for person.

There is not a charge for services to support young carers, children and young people.

More information on charging for carers is available in the Scottish Government’s Statutory Guidance for the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016.

8. Feedback, Monitoring and Review

The Short Breaks Statement will be reviewed annually to make sure information and links are kept up-to-date. The review will involve the views of carers of all ages to reflect the opinions of carers across Aberdeenshire.

Key partners are involved, including the IJB Carer Representative, carer groups, Orkney Health and Care IJB, Education Services and Third Sector Organisations, and will contribute in planning for future local demand of short breaks.

The Orkney Health and Care Management Team is responsible for reviewing the Short Breaks Statement. If you would like to give feedback or need more information, please email: OHACFeedback@orkney.gov.uk

9. Glossary

Term	Definition
Adult Carer	Individual over the age of 18 who provides or intends to provide care for another individual. The carer should not be providing care as part of a contract or voluntary work.
Adult Carer Support Plan (ACSP)	Adult carers have the right to be offered or request an assessment of their needs related to their caring role. The plan will be based on a discussion with the carer and information from people identified by the carer as knowing their circumstances well.
Cared-for Person	Someone a carer provides support for.
Eligibility Criteria	The eligibility criteria sets out the level of need that a carer must have to access support, including Self-directed Support. The criteria may include whether a carer is likely to be able to meet their needs through services in their community, or the impact of their caring role on their health.
Eligible Need	A need considered to be appropriate to be met by the allocation of social care services resource(s) or funding, by the application of eligibility criteria.
Integration Joint Board	Integration Joint Boards (IJB), also known as Health and Social Care Partnerships, are the organisations formed as part of the integration of some services provided by Health Boards and local authorities in Scotland.
Identified Need	An area of an individual’s life which they currently need support with. Not all identified needs will require, or be eligible for, social care services.
Individual Budget	The amount of funding that the individual and social care services agree to commit to meet the eligible needs of the individual.
Options (SDS)	With Self-directed Support families can choose how much or little involvement they want. The choices are known as Options.
Personal Outcome	The specific goal or aim of a carer which is unique to their situation.
Short Break or Respite	Any form of support that allows a carer to have time away from their caring responsibilities; this can include a short break or care for the cared-for person.
Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013	A law which puts a duty on local authorities and health and social care partnerships to make sure individuals who need support have greater choice and control.
Strategy	A plan of action designed to achieve a long-term or overall aim.
Young Carer	Individual under 18 years old; or has attained the age of 18 years while a pupil at a school and has since attaining that age remained a pupil at that or another school.
Young Carer Statement (YCS)	Young carers have the right to be offered or request an assessment of their needs related to their caring role. The statement will be based on a discussion with the young carer and information from their parent or guardian.

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