Short Break Stories

Breaks from Caring Fund

A story by Carers of East Lothian

We provided grants directly to carers who live in East Lothian.

What Breaks from Caring Fund did

The application process has remained essentially the same as in previous years (although we have since refined it). We ask applicants to complete an application form (and assist in doing so where necessary) and seek brief comments from a referee to give us sufficient information to make a decision on the application.

Our panel currently consists of 3 people, the manager and a Board member from Carers of East Lothian and a manager in the Social Work Department. The fund is advertised to carers through our newsletter and more widely via partner agencies. The number of applications is increasing while the funding available is reducing so we need to be proportionate about wider advertising.

The carer and the person she cares for took a 4 day break to a caravan together. She described the breaks as enabling her to "notice for the first time in a long time that there is a life outside my home and it felt good".

Carer took her two children away for a long weekend while her husband was cared for in a respite setting. She said "being able to afford to take the girls on such a great trip did not just mean me getting a break from caring for my husband but for the first time in a long time I was just Mum!"
A carer was funded to take part in leisure classes. She said "I attend Pilates and Body Balance classes which are good for me physically and mentally. I am fully focused on my body and my breathing instead of thinking about day-to day tasks and responsibilities. At the end of the class I feel more relaxed and better to cope."

What Carers of East Lothian has learned

The grants underline the importance of carers being able to get a good break. The grants are often used to allow the carer to have a better break, by enabling them to do things that they might otherwise not have done. There is a danger that these grants replace other forms of respite provision and we need to be careful that that is not the case.
Top tips Carers of East Lothian's top tips for an organisation that wants to run a similar project
Tip 1:
Keep the application process as simple and straight forward as possible.
Tip 2:
Prioritisation is difficult as we recognise the importance of ALL carers getting a break and the importance of breaks as a means of preventing damage to relationships rather than responding to that break.
Tip 3:
Ensure that data is fully collected to be able to report on grants.