The Short Breaks project

Stockport Children and Young People’s Directorate

When and why was it set up?

• October 2001• To provide a breathing space for children living

with families who were experiencing some form of crisis and fear of family breakdown

• To prevent children entering the care system

Original referral criteria

• Children without disabilities• Aged 0 – 16 years • Allocated social worker

Changes in the project’s remit

• August 2005 – Short Breaks started with working with children with disabilities as well

• From March 2006 – all placements set up under section 17.6 (classed as children in need as opposed to looked after children)

Staffing

• 2001- one Short Breaks coordinator. • From November 2006 - Short Breaks manager, 2

x Short Breaks coordinators

Numbers of placements

• Capacity to provide 70 children with Short Breaks placements at any one time

• Currently have 56 children in placement due to embargo on placements since November 2009

Placement types and frequency

• Day support - once or twice a week or as little as once a month

• Overnight placements - once or twice a month• Very occasionally a mixture of both

Length of placements

• Time limited• Need to review on a regular basis • Aim is to end placements within 9 months where

disability is not the main reason for support• Problems arise when the case becomes

unallocated to a social worker and/or is allowed to drift

Cost of placements

• £35 for an overnight placement for up to 24 hours• £5 per hour for day support only• Pay review under a way to consider different

method of payment i.e hourly rate from 8am – 8pm and then a flat rate of £10 flat rate for the overnight component of the placement

Short Breaks carers

• 22 Short Breaks carers• 4 carers currently being assessed

Meet Dianne!

Childminders and Short Breaks

• Dianne Stead • Registered as a Network childminder• Previously known to Short Breaks through her

involvement with the Day Care Family Support project and her involvement supporting children under the age of 5

• Became involved with Short Breaks 7 years ago

Childminders as support carers

• Statutory checks and 2 references are taken• Visits made to get background information and prepare

new carers for the task• Same training is offered to childminders as given to foster

carers• Supervised, monitored and supported in the same way as

foster carers are under fostering regulations• Placement agreements, safer caring, regular reviews and

recordings kept

Childminders

• Less stigma attached• Some families fear that short breaks with a foster

carer may turn into a full time placement• Childminders can provide day support for children

aged under 8 years of age whereas foster carers cannot

Foster carers

• Less controversy placing children with foster carers for overnight placements

• There are already set standards in place to follow re recruitment, supervision and training

• The process can be very long and drawn out when applicant only wants to offer one overnight a month

Variety is the spice of life!

• Carers have their own preferences with regard to the age groups of children they work with and types of needs they are interested in and feel comfortable working with – regardless of whether they are childminders or foster carers

• Some carers only want to commit to providing a short breaks placement once a month, others offer more with some working full time for the project

Carers perspective

• The focus of this presentation is on the carers’ perspective so I will hand you over to Sue and Jim Richardson who work full time for the Short Breaks project and support 12 children

Contact details

• Pat Bugajski• pat.bugajski@stockport.gov.uk• CYPD 1 Baker St Heaton Norris Stockport SK4 1QQ