Short Break Stories

The Butterfly Club

A story by The Butterfly club

We organised and ran a summer club for children and young people aged 5-18 with severe and complex learning difficulties.

We worked closely in partnership with a third sector organisation to deliver stimulating actives and provide opportunities which may not otherwise be available, in a fun and safe environment.

What The Butterfly Club did

Over the last year we held monthly committee and steering group meetings with Quarriers to plan staffing, training, outings and risk assessments, home visits, school visits and transport to make sure the club ran smoothly. Adverts went out in local papers, colleges and recruitment websites to find staff who were then interviewed by both Quarriers and the committee. Chosen staff were then allocated a child and conducted both school and home visits to enable them to complete a care plan. Staff worked closely with both school staff and parents and also attended core and child specific training.

Each child was offered 8 days, 9:30-3:30, throughout the summer period at a cost of £10 per day. Activities included country parks with guided nature walks, all ability bikes, Whitelee Wind Farm and Castle Semple speed boats. Children/young people also had access to the therapy pool, sensory studio and outdoor spaces available at James Macfarlane School where the club was held. On the final day of the club all children and young people attended a fun day with their families which was held at the school. There was lunch provided, hoots owls came for the day and there was bouncy castles to play on outside.

The "Butterflies" also put on a short show for their families and were each presented with a certificate and photo book keepsake of their summer. A total of 29 children/young people with Additional Support Needs attended the 2015 club with 2 team leaders, 22 support staff and 2 volunteers.

"Overall I was very happy with the way the club was ran, and the staff that worked with my son. I did also notice at the family fun day there was not one member of staff that did not know him, everyone that came in contact with him had something to say to him which made me and my son happy. He formed some nice relationships with staff." Parent of a junior Butterfly

"My son is now 17 years old, is profoundly deaf, severely autistic and he often displays extreme challenging and self-harming behaviours, during the long holidays particularly when he loses the element of routine and structure that the school term provides. As his parent and a single mum, it's great to see all the photos and hear the reports of him enjoying activities which I simply wouldn't feel confident in taking him to myself (eg the speedboats at Castle Semple) and whilst he's away having fun at the summer club, I have the opportunity to do alternate activities with my 12 year daughter that my son doesn't like or we simply cannot do when he is with us.

This in-turn means I not only get to spend quality time with my daughter but it allows me to have a regular break from trying to juggle my time between 2 children who have very different needs and allows me some time out from constantly supervising my son and dealing with his personal care needs and challenging behaviours.

Having these regular breaks also gives me some "me" time to just sit and read a book with a nice coffee and have no interruptions for a short time and this is invaluable when the rest of my time can be very stressful, intense, exhausting and sometimes chaotic!!" Parent of a senior Butterfly.
"During the long summer holidays it is near impossible to spend quality time with each member of our family of 5 when our daughter who has Additional Support Needs is around. Without the routine and structure that school brings she frequently struggles to cope which leads to lashing out and self harming. She takes up most of our time due to her intense care needs and we are often left feeling emotionally and physically drained.

When she goes to the club we get to spend family time together doing things we cannot do when she is around, simple things like watching a film together or going for a walk, safe in the knowledge that she is having fun herself. The Butterfly club allows this to happen and makes our holidays so much more bearable. "

Parent of a junior Butterfly

What The Butterfly club has learned

We have learned that in order to make sure everyone is able to access the club we should not only put out letters, which can be hard to understand or be lost, but also phone everyone to confirm of decline their space.
Also that some outings were not suitable, paticularly for the wheelchair users, and will be taken off our list.
With the fundng from better breaks our project would not have been possible and we would have to limit the number of children we can take as our biggest expense is staffing.
Top tips The Butterfly club's top tips for an organisation that wants to run a similar project
Tip 1:
Allow plenty of time, particularly in the recruitment process, as the benefits of staff really getting to know the children/young people properly are invaluable.
Tip 2:
Make sure staff get to know their allocated children in several different settings, often the way a child is in school is different from at home and out in the community
Tip 3:
Listen to the parents/main carers, they know the child best and they should be confident that the club meets the child's requirements.