To:
Local Authority Directors of Social Work
Local Authority Directors of Children Services
Copy to | Local Authority Chief Executives | Care Commission |
| Local Authority Directors of Finance | Association of Directors of Social Work |
| LA Directors of Education | Association of Directors of Education in Scotland. |
| NHS Board Chief Executives | Appropriate Voluntary Organisations |
GUIDANCE ON SHORT BREAKS (RESPITE)
Summary
1. This guidance, issued jointly by COSLA and the Scottish Government, provides advice to adult Community Care Partnerships and to agencies engaged in children's services on the planning and delivery of short breaks, including breaks from caring and emergency crisis support. It should also be of interest to other individuals and organisations involved in social care.
2. The Scottish Government has set out a single over-arching purpose, 'To focus Government and public services on creating a more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish, through increasing sustainable economic growth'. This is underpinned by 15 National Outcomes 1. Improving planning and delivery of short breaks contributes to several of these, principally: improving employment opportunities, securing longer, healthier lives, tackling inequality, improving the life chances for children, young people and families at risk and strengthening public services. Progress towards the National Outcomes will be measured using 45 National Indicators 2, including improving people's perceptions of public services and, for older people, reducing hospital admissions and extending care at home.
3. This new system is not focussed around specific public services but rather on the outcomes which those services can achieve. It does not look at inputs, processes or outputs but at results. Short breaks are an essential part of the overall support provided to unpaid carers and those with care needs, helping to sustain caring relationships, promote health and well being and prevent crises. In the case of young carers, the overall aim is different, focused instead on preventing inappropriate levels of caring, but short breaks can bring similar benefits of promoting health, wellbeing and social inclusion.
4. Putting in place robust planning for short breaks will help local partners to demonstrate how they are contributing to these national outcomes and indicators, particularly those highlighted above. Local authorities should consider highlighting action in this area in their Single Outcome Agreements, linking them to Local Indicator 29 3, increasing the proportion of people needing care who are able to live independently, which is underpinned by the 16 measures in the National Outcomes Framework for Community Care, including that on carers' feeling supported to continue caring.
5. Because of the priority we attach to this area, the Concordat 4 between the Scottish Government and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities includes a commitment to progress towards delivering 10,000 extra respite weeks per year. The Scottish Government is working towards a manifesto commitment that ' by 2011 carers in greatest need will have a guaranteed annual entitlement to breaks from caring'. Clearly, these measures, including the expansion of local provision, serve to increase the importance of thorough local respite planning.
6. This guidance replaces Scottish Office Circular SWSG 10/965. Its main purpose is to help local service planners improve short break provision in line with the overall principles of protecting young carers, enabling self care and working with adult carers as partners in care, by:
- improving planning of short break services;
- shifting the balance towards preventative support; and
- personalising support to improve outcomes both for carers and those with care needs.
7. These themes are important aspects of the Scottish Government's overall policy direction for both health and social care services, in line with the Kerr Report Building a Health Service fit for the Future (2005) 6, Changing Lives (2006) 7 and the Care 21 Report The Future of Unpaid Care in Scotland (2005) 8. Personalisation of services and improving outcomes are also consistent with the Scottish Government's priorities for services for children and young people described in the Getting it right for every child programme and in guidance on integrated services planning and quality improvement.
Action and expected outcomes
8. At a time when short break provision is expanding, recipients should use this guidance to update their strategic planning of short break services, including when existing plans are coming to an end. As a consequence, we would encourage local authorities to work with local partners at the appropriate stage in planning cycles to:
- develop strategic approaches to planning, delivery and evaluation of short breaks; and
- involve carers and service users in determining the shape, direction and level of local short break provision.
9. We would expect this approach to deliver the following outcomes:
- greater choice, flexibility and equity in the provision of short break services; and
- carers and service users feeling more supported by the short break services provided (measurable through Local Indicator 29 and the National Outcomes Framework for Community Care noted above).
Contact Point
10. For further copies or for queries about this circular, please contact Jennifer Stoddart, Carers Policy Branch, Community Care Division, Scottish Government at: jennifer.stoddart@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
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Deputy Director
Community Care Division
Scottish Government | Team Leader
Health and Social Care Team
COSLA |