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Stornoway Enable Respite Trip

A story by Enable Stornoway & District Branch

We provided a group trip for carers of adults with learning disabilities who live in the Western Isles.

What Stornoway Enable Respite Trip did

The grant was used for a group trip based Gretna and visiting the Lake District, Gretna village and the aquarium in Newcastle. We then returned to Ullapool. The application was made after consultation with the people with learning disabilities and their carers and provided an opportunity for them to experience new things away from the island.

It also allowed carers to share care for some of the trip and to share their own caring experiences in a relaxed and informal setting. All known carers for this group were informed of the trip and could have come had they wished to.

It is often difficult for carers with adult children to interact in an informal way. Evenings on the trip were times when people could properly relax, sometimes for the first time that year, knowing that there was care for their child. One evening we had dancing and music with some of the participants in fancy dress - one of the fathers was called "Doris" for the rest of the week!

The decision making process, about where we would go, how we would spend our time, etc. was very exciting and almost as engaging as the trip itself. A number of options were given and the group made all the decisions, including carers and the people with disabilities. They really felt it was their trip and this created excitement and anticipation as well as control for the group.

Over the course of the week, as people relaxed more, they became more willing to share their experiences as carers. This can be difficult for people in their home setting but the air of relaxation allowed people to lower their guards. The people with learning disabilities also benefited greatly from being in a group situation for an extended period of time.

What Enable Stornoway & District Branch has learned

How well people with learning needs interact when they are in an informal situation
How important it is to get away from the island an experience new things
People will always rise to the occasion when they get the opportunity - the planning process was extremely important for everybody.

Top tips Enable Stornoway & District Branch's top tips for an organisation that wants to run a similar project

Tip 1:

Everybody involved in the decision making from the outset - it then is something they are doing for themselves rather than being given something.

Tip 2:

Agreeing from the start that there would be clear lines of responsibility and reporting back to the group.

Tip 3:

Start early! something like this cant be done in a rush if it is to include everybody so give yourself at least 9 or 10 months to make all the arrangements so that everyone can be fully involved.

Stornoway Enable Respite Trip

What Stornoway Enable Respite Trip did

What Enable Stornoway & District Branch has learned

Tip 1:

Tip 2:

Tip 3:

Funded Organisation

Total Funding Provided:

No. of carers who benefitted

No. of cared for people who benefitted

Type of short break fund applied for

Report covers the funded period

Project covers these Local Authorities