Appeal for new carers
Your chance to help families
Householders with a spare bedroom are being sought to help other families by giving a short break to children with additional support needs.
Anyone interested in finding out more about the rewards to be had from supporting youngsters with a range of additional needs can do so in a relaxed and informative environment at an open evening in Hamilton this month.
Sarie Young, team leader of South Lanarkshire Health and Social Care Partnership’s Family Placement Team, said: “Short breaks are exactly as they sound – they are breaks provided to children and young people in a family setting, usually for a weekend or one or two nights during the week.
“Short break carers help all sorts of children, because there is a whole range of reasons why a family may be finding it difficult to care for their child. It might be because there are difficulties in the family home, or they can also be particularly beneficial to a range of children including those on the autistic spectrum, children with physical or learning disabilities, communication or emotional difficulties or other complex health needs.
“To avoid families reaching breaking point, access to these overnight short breaks is invaluable. It also gives children the opportunity to make new friends, to develop their social skills and promote their independence, while at the same time giving the parents or carers the opportunity to recharge their batteries.
“Short breaks carers also provide invaluable support to existing foster carers by providing breaks that can make all the difference in being able to manage children in foster placements over a long period of time.”
Under the scheme, carers look after the same child or children on a regular basis and have the opportunity to build strong – and often lifelong – relationships. Short breaks carers are assessed, supported and supervised through the council’s fostering and adoption service, and applications are welcome from single people, married couples or couples in a stable relationship, as well as from families with or without children.
Anyone aged over 21 can work with the Family Placement Team to offer short breaks – you just need a room in your home and the enthusiasm, skills and qualities necessary to give children and families some breathing space.
And anyone interested in becoming a carer will be able to sign up or find out more about it at a recruitment evening in the Cadzow Room at Hamilton Town House, from 6.30pm to 8.30pm on Thursday, May 24. Further information can also be obtained by calling 0303 123 1008 or emailing familyplacement@ southlanarkshire.gov.uk.
Short break carers help all sorts of children