Short BreAkS survey 2010

1. Short BreAkS survey 2010 For further details contact: Carla Seabury Consultation and Research Team

2. Objectives • To evaluate the impact the Aiming High for Disabled Children programme has had on the support families have received. • In light of the significantly reduced budget, to evaluate what is working well and what sorts of breaks provide the essential support to enable parents to keep caring for their child. • To ensure that if difficult choices need to be made about funding we continue to provide services which work well for children and families who need them most.

3. Fieldwork • Postal self completion questionnaire. • Sent to parents of children with disabilities.

4. Respondent Profile

5. Profile of respondents Disability • Yes = 15% • No = 85% Receives informal help to have a break from caring • Yes = 45% • No = 55% • If yes, who from • Child’s grandparent = 17 respondents • Multiple family members = 9 respondents • Child’s auntie / uncle = 6 respondents • Friends = 4 respondents • Other = 6 respondents Gender • 5% male • 95% female Age profile • Under 25 years = 1% • 25-34 years = 11% • 35-44 years = 52% • 45-54 years = 28% • 55-64 years = 8% • 65+ years = 1% Ethnicity profile • White British = 88% • Asian / Asian British = 7% • Other white = 3% • Mixed / multiple ethnic groups = 1%

6. Profile of child Care component of DLA • Highest rate = 53% • Middle rate = 44% • Lowest rate = 1% • Not in receipt of care component = 2% Mobility component of DLA • Highest rate = 45% • Lowest rate = 43% • Not in receipt of mobility component = 13% Main carer of child • Mother = 81% • Both parents = 10% • Foster parent = 5% • Father = 2% • Grandmother = 1% Gender • 67% male • 33% female Age profile • under 5 years = 8% • 5 to 9 years = 18% • 10 to 14 years = 48% • 15 to 18 years = 26% Ethnicity profile • White British = 87% • Asian / Asian British = 7% • Other white = 2% • Mixed / multiple ethnic groups = 2% • Black / African / Caribbean / Black British = 1%

7. Past / current use of short break support

8. Short break activities / services The most used short break services were Bolton Kidz2gether and Daytrippers, with almost a third of respondents having attended. 31% of respondents had used just one of these short break services, 26% had used two services, 13% had used three services, 13% had used four services, 6% had used five services and 1% had used seven different services.

9. Short break activities / services What were the reasons you chose the particular activities? If you chose not to use any of the services, can you tell us why? • Three main reasons: • 1. Trust the staff / service • 2. Appropriate for child’s specific needs • 3. Invited to attend / found out from another service • Three main reasons : • 1. Not suitable for child (due to age or special needs) • 2. Unaware of service(s) • 3. Used other services not listed

10. Short break services – following assessment of need The most used short break service following an assessment of need was Direct payments, with over a quarter of respondents having used this. 27% of respondents had used just one of the short break services following an assessment of need, 25% had used two services, 10% had used three services and 1% had used four different services.

11. What went well / did not go well In relation to the short break support you have received since April 2008, what went well for your child, yourself and your family? Three main things that went well: 1. Respite / the chance to have a break 2. Child settled in well / enjoyed service & staff 3. Everything! And what, if anything, did not go well? • There was very little that did not go well, in fact many respondents replied ‘nothing’ to the question. The main thing that did not go well was that parents had problems with their child i.e. getting them to go to the session and stay there, however only five people reported this.

12. Short break support – benefits to the child To what extent do you agree or disagree that short break support has helped your child to … % agree 93% 92% 86% 100% 99% 99% 94% No. of respondents: 93-98 When asked if there were any other benefits to their child, a quarter of parents said that short breaks had helped their child to develop social skills and many thought that their child’s confidence had increased as a result.

13. Short break support – benefits to the parent To what extent do you agree or disagree that short break support has helped you to … % agree 89% 67% 72% 87% 68% 59% 41% 48% No. of respondents: 71-94

14. Overall satisfaction Satisfaction with short break support is extremely high (97%) Overall, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the short break support you have received since the Aiming High grant began in April 2008? % satisfied = 97% No. of respondents: 95

15. Short break priorities

16. Frequency of short break support How often do you need short break support? No. of respondents: 93

17. Type of short break support Please rate whether you regard each of the following short breaks as essential, desirable or unnecessary to your family. No. of respondents: 75-97

18. Time of short break support Please rate whether you regard each of the following time periods of short breaks as essential, desirable or unnecessary to your family. No. of respondents: 85-95

19. Additional comments Is there anything else you would like to tell us about your short break support needs? Comments / suggestions More teenage care needed 6 respondents Support is essential to child’s development 6respondents Care is needed most in school holidays 5 respondents Support received is essential to whole family 12 respondents

20. Conclusions

21. Conclusions Use of short break support • Trust in the staff is the main reason parents will choose a short break service. • The service / activity not being suitable for the child (due to age or special needs) is the main reason why parents would not use short breaks. • Parents really welcome and value the chance to have a break. • Parents agree that short breaks provide many important benefits for their child, and also for themselves. • Satisfaction with short break support is extremely high (97%). Short break priorities • When asked about priorities, two fifths of parents said that they need short break support more than once a week. • The types of short break regarded as most essential are playschemes / activities during the summer school holidays followed by playschemes / activities during other school holidays. • By far the most essential time for short break support is school holidays followed by weekend daytimes.