Short Break Stories

Crossroads Caring Scotland East Banff & Buchan Breaks

A story by Crossroads Caring Scotland East Banff & Buchan

On the 19th June we took a group of children and young people on a trip to Aberdeen to see CATS the musical and enjoy a pre theatre meal in a nearby restaurant. Which, opened up new life skills for some and extended their circle of friends.

On the 23rd July we took a group of children and young people to the circus. this outing enhanced their social development, as well as their development of knowledge and understanding, again opening up new experiences to many of the group as this had been their first time attending a circus.

3rd December the older group were given the opportunity to socialise with peers for a Christmas lunch and dance which enhanced their confidence and self esteem and giving them the chance to express their feelings through music and dance which helps with their physical development also.

22nd December a young group of children went on a trip to Aberdeen to see Disney on Ice and have lunch with their friends, this helped form positive relationships and promote independence and helps them to over come tasks like detachment issues.

Short break club every fortnight for group of young people to socialise interact with friends in a safe secure environment.

Overnight stay In Aberdeen for a social event helped with detachment issues, social skills every day living skills.

Crossroads Caring Scotland East Banff & Buchan Breaks aim to provide a range of opportunities for different forms of breaks for Children and Young people age range 5 to 20 years.

Carers will benefit from not only having a break themselves but also by experiencing opportunities in supporting their child or young person to consider life outside the home. Whilst supporting adult and young carers we will provide a range of opportunities for children and young people to participate in a range of different forms of breaks and the flexibility of choice.
Tip 1:
• Record and document everything accurately
Tip 2:
• Risk assess and plan every activity well in advance
Tip 3:
• Enjoy the achievement and pleasure in providing such a valuable service.
W is a young teenager who has never been away from home, he has mytonic dystrophy which affects his speech and mobility. He is an only child and both parents were reluctant to let him go for an overnight stay with his peers. They were anxious and concerned but once attended the information and planning meeting agreed to try him as it was not too far away and it was a small group of peers he was going with. We stayed in apartments in Aberdeen where W and his peers participated in planning the trip, accessing transport, unpacking, shopping for groceries, preparing food attending local restaurant choosing food which promoted their independence and boosted their self esteem. Regular contact was made with his parents throughout the trip to reduce parent’s concerns.

On return home parents were delighted and impressed that W had settled so well and was so happy and bubbly. When his parents asked if he had enjoyed himself and would he go away again he replied “ oh aye “ oh aye” and became excited. W also formed a friendship on the trip with another boy and they became inseperable throughout the trip

Tuesday evening club allows young teens to socialise and participate in various activities with peers of same age and disabilities without feeling isolated and judged.
M who is a wheelchair user quoted “ Tuesday nights are the best when there’s clubs on I get out of the house.
Parents / carers benefit from having peace of mind knowing that their children and young people are being cared for and looked after by trained staff and given opportunities and activities to provide stimulation and enjoyment.

Quotes from parents / carers :-
• Was strange not having W in the house, but was fine to enjoy some relaxation time to myself.
• Was brilliant went to cinema with my husband first time in years.
• Spending quality time with other children.
Short breaks is a life line for many carers and provides them with the opportunity to recharge their batteries and have some me time.
There is definitely more recognition within society for inclusion in mainstream leisure and recreation activities for children and young people.
Children and young people were given the choice and opportunity to socialise and interact with peers out with a school setting. To form friendships, learn everyday living skills, boost confidence and self-esteem.

Children and young people learn problem solving in planning activities, i.e bus times, taxis , distance to apartments, social skills eating out in public with peers choosing from menus, what cutlery to use , as well as acceptable behaviour.
We gather ideas from children and young people and their carers before we consider furutre projects. We take the idea forward and turn it into an application for funding then consult again to ensure we are meeting the needs of the group and their families. Before each element ofn this project is pursued we again consult and involve everyone. More so giving the children and young people ownership of the activities by planning every detail with support from the staff and their families.
We work in partnership with the local authority for some of our other children services which allows us to complement this service and vice versa. We have links with other voluntary organisations and ensure that we are not crossing over service or replacing a service.
We try to ensure we provide new experiences for all children and young people this is always taken slowly and the service offered is usually tailored to the individuals needs and age and stage. This allows the child or young person to take small steps away from their home and gives time for them to build up confidence and aim for the longer more adventurous breaks.

E.g.Trip to Aladdin on ice for group of 5 year olds with various disabilities proved to be more beneficial for the children and their families as it helped with detachment issues, providing choices, promoting independence, learning to share and socialise.
Planning for the trips and activities have been slower than we expected which is in main due to Service Manager being off long term sick. However every attempt has been made to catch up and meet the needs of the children and young people as planned. Further consultation began to ensure we were still able to plan activities and meet the groups aims.

We are now back on track with various trips and overnight stays in place for February and March which again the parents/ carers are delighted about as they said they find this time of year a struggle due to poor weather and feelings of depression after the festive period.
We had discussions with Carers support service and local authority, Children & Families disability team for those children and young people most in need of respite breaks.
Risk assessments on activities were conducted to ensure that the activities would be accessible to the group and that everyone could participate in so that even children and young people who are wheel chair users are able to participate in.

All have learning disabilities, other conditions cerebal palsy, Autism, Mytonic Dystrophy, Muscular Dystrophy, Mobility, Specialised PEG feeding, Angelmans Syndrom, Mobus Syndrom, Global Development Delay
This funding is excellent for providing such a valuable well needed service to children young people and their families.
Direct consultation on 1-1 basis, through letters, group work, meetings and circle time with children & young people.

We plan to complete an evaluation at the end of the year with parents & staff feedback, this will provide documented evidence for this fund.

"As a family we were at breaking point...this break brought us all closer together and enabled us to have fun as a family and enjoy different surroundings. I can't thank you enough...for making this happen for us."

Service User

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