Hosts being sought to give a people with disabilities a holiday

THE HSE is looking for people in Sligo and Leitrim to give a person with a disability a holiday break. The Home Sharing Scheme is a short break scheme facilitated by the HSE in Sligo and Leitrim. It involves caring for and sharing your home with a child or an adult with a disability and/or autism. The scheme is flexible. Host families or host carers offer a variety of break options including a morning, afternoon or day per week, a night per week or per month, a weekend per month or a longer break during holiday periods.

The most suitable break will be agreed prior to commencement.

For the person with the disability it is a chance to meet new people and provides an opportunity to do new things, make new friends and have a happy, short break.

According to a guest who has been involved in home sharing, these breaks “stop looking like a service and start feeling like a life”.

For parents/carers it provides a short break and time to spend with their spouse and other children in the family with the assurance that their loved one is being well cared for.

For the host it is a chance to do something that is rewarding, challenging and worthwhile. It provides an invaluable opportunity for the host, their family and their friends to get to know a child/adult with a disability and/or autism.

As one previous host stated: “She is very much part of the family and we look forward to her visits.”

The scheme welcomes people from all walks of life. No formal qualifications are required. Currently hosts consist of people who are working, retired, unemployed, with or without children, single, married or with a partner.

To become a host family or host carer you simply contact a member of the Home Share Team where they can discuss the scheme in more detail with you without any obligation to proceed to the next stage. A visit to the home or a telephone call will be arranged and the Home Sharing social worker will help the host and the host family (if appropriate) to decide whether or not taking part in the scheme suits.

Due to Covid restrictions mandatory training will now be completed online. Training will include child safeguarding.

The Home Sharing Scheme is a voluntary scheme with a contribution made to cover expenses that may be incurred. These details will be provided in more detail to host families or host carers on enquiry. For more information contact Ali Crowe-Bergin or Eleanor Gallagher, HSE Disability Services SligoLeitrim. Phone 086 4634973 or 087 1150044.