Taking a break - Print version

When you care for someone on a long-term basis taking a break can be important for you own wellbeing. It can be particularly important if you are caring for someone by yourself or with limited support around. It might be that you need a break as a one-off or it may be that you need regular breaks throughout the year. This guide will help you navigate the options for taking a break. This guide explores support available through Adult Social Care but also other options that might be available in the community.

If you wish to talk to someone about taking a break you can contact Carers Trust Heart of England or Adult Social Care Direct.

One-off events and breaks

One-off break support (planned and significant events)

The Carers' Trust Heart of England as part of their CRESS service can offer one-off break support for carers to attend a significant event such as a wedding, funeral or other significant event. They will also support you if you have a planned medical appointment or a short cycle of appointments that you need support to attend. The service and support is flexible and will talk to you about how best to support you to have the break and if you have any concerns about leaving the person you care for. No carer should miss out on milestone events and no carer should find themselves postponing medical treatment or support. This service is free of charge and available to carers registered with CRESS.

Short breaks (respite at home)

Short breaks is where you are allocated a number of hours a week (usually between 2-6) to take a break during the week. The care provider will come into your house and look after the person you are caring for. You can use this time to do what you want, go shopping, have a coffee, see friends and relatives. Often the hours can be used flexibly and you can bank and save up time for a larger break if that’s what you’d find helpful.

If the person you are caring for is having an assessment through Adult Social Care then speak to your case manager about break provision. We currently use the Carers Trust Heart of England for breaks.

If you are arranging the care yourself most home support providers offer break provision for carers. You can explore home support providers using the CQC website: Find and compare services - Care Quality Commission (cqc.org.uk) [https://www.cqc.org.uk/care-services]

Residential respite provision

Residential respite is where the person you are caring for goes to stay in a care home for a period of time, this could be a couple of days, over the weekend or for a week or two. You can use this as one-off during a particularly stressful period or use it in a planned way, scheduling breaks in for the year.

You can still visit the person you care for during that time and you can ring for updates.

Depending on the person’s needs there will be activities and things for them to get involved in during that time – it’s important that it’s an enjoyable experience for them. They will also try and maintain any key activities the person has in place such as going to a day centre or a group they regularly attend.

There are two respite providers in the city for learning disabilities (Maurice Edleman House & Ellys Road respite) and a number of care homes that offer respite for people over the age of 65. For more specialised provision we may access respite out of city.

If the person you are caring for is having an assessment through Adult Social Care, talk to your case manager about respite options. They will discuss with you the amount of time you need to take a break and usually will allocate a certain amount of weeks based on your needs so you can plan for the rest of the year.

If the person you are caring for is fully health funded speak to them about respite options.

If you are arranging respite yourself you can look at provision Find and compare services - Care Quality Commission (cqc.org.uk) [https://www.cqc.org.uk/care-services]

Hospice respite provision

Across Coventry and Warwickshire, Myton Hospice offers respite provision for people with a life-limiting illness (registered with a Coventry or Warwickshire GP) for up to 1 week, twice a year - currently delivered at the Warwick Inpatient Unit with nursing support. This service is currently delivered free of charge but must be planned in advance. For more information visit the Myton Hospice website [https://www.mytonhospice.org/patients-and-families-2/the-services-we-provide/respite-beds/].

Direct payment for breaks/residential respite

If the person you are caring for is having an assessment through Adult Social Care, Direct Payments may be an option for you to arrange your own care. This is where the council give you an amount of money so that you can directly purchase the care yourself within your allocated personal budget. This allows you to have more choice in what services you might use, such as:

• You have a preferred provider / care home in mind
• You have someone in mind that could be employed as a personal assistant
• You want some more flexibility in how you take your breaks
• You have ana idea that will help you take a break but it sits out side of the usual offer of support.

The assessor will take into account cost-effectiveness when administering a Direct Payment.

For more information about direct payments access our Direct Payments [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/directpayments] page.

Having a break together

Carers often tell us that they desperately need a break but for many reasons would struggle to leave the person they care for. Sometimes a change may be as good as a rest. Taking a break together might involve:

• Attend a supportive group together where staff will support you with your caring role – being around others might take the pressure off your caring role. Some sessions are run in parallel so a carers group might take place at the same time as an activity enabling you to have a small rest. The Adult Social Care - community directory [https://cid.coventry.gov.uk/kb5/coventry/directory/home.page] lists local groups and activities.
• Holiday provision – there are a number of national providers that provide holidays for carers and people with support needs, they will explore the care that is needed and can provide this on-site usually with accessible accommodation and care on-site. The Carers Trust have a good overview of providers [http://carers.org/getting-a-break/holidays-for-carers].
• Visiting family/friends together – is there the option to visit family and friends together? Could you have a holiday close to family and friends who may be able to support you with taking a break?

If the person you are caring for is receiving an assessment talk to the practitioner about support, you may be able to utilise some of your personal budget to support the costs of care if it has been identified that you would benefit from respite provision. You may be able to access a Carers Direct Payment [http://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/file/35057/direct-payments-leaflet] to support some costs for yourself as a carer.

The Carers Trust Heart of England can talk to you about your options as well.

Funding for respite

Will the Council provide funding for respite?

Adult Social Care is a means-tested service, which means that most people are likely to pay a contribution towards their care. What you pay is determined through a financial assessment which is usually conducted once care is being discussed. Services like respite and short-breaks provision are considered part of the person’s overall support package and the person you are caring for will be liable for any charges. The financial assessment will look at the financial situation of the person you are caring for and what they can afford to pay.

If the person you are caring for has savings over £23,250, then they will be considered a self-funder and will be required to pay the full amount of their care. The local authority can still conduct an assessment but there will be an administration charge if the local authority goes on to arrange the support.