AIBU £800 for 2 dc to attend 1 week of playscheme?

[PeppasNanna]

I have 2 ds with ASD. Both in Special school's. Both very challenging behaviours. Both aggressive /anxious/ verbal/bloody hard work.

The only playscheme available in the borough is £400 per week, per child. Its from 10-3pm. Based in a centre. No going out on trips. Nothing. No transport. I provide lunch & snacks.

Both boys get a Personal Budget of £500 per year for social care. I have used carers in the past but most leave after a few weeks.

But £400 a week? AIBU? I won't have much choice but it feels like daylight robbery!

Oh Op that is shocking! Is it because it is specific care for the ASD? What are you going to do? I'm assuming you need the care so you can work? Would be better financially taking annual leave?

That's crazy! The really expensive amazing ones here (London Borough) are about £200 a week max (and those are the ones where the kids do a special course like art or cooking for the week - normal basic ones are £150 a week)

That is a terrific amount of money!
You are screwed aren't you, because you need a specialist service :(
Our local authority are pretty good (sorry) 10 days over the summer holidays 10-2 for nothing.

Family fund (charity) has paid for the play-scheme my ds has attended for the last couple of years. SS did all the paperwork and answer came back really quickly both times. (Is a massive cost too.) Could you pursue this route?

That's terrible. I'm in C London and I wouldn't pay that even for the private ones that are fancy pants tennis coaching for children of bankers...

I can't remember what I paid last time for one of the local authority ones but it was about £200 per kid and there were loads of activities plus a trip every afternoon and it was from 9-6.

TBH YABU, it sounds as if your boys require specialist care and that costs. However, I believe that if this is something you cannot afford the government should pay it for you. So YABU to be shocked at the cost, YANBU to think that your boys should be able to attend without you remortgaging.

Are you entitled towards any help towards the costs at all?

My younger ds isn't in school full time. Hasn't been for 2 years. I had to give up work as my company couldn't give me indefinite leave.

The boys Christmas break lasted over 4 weeks as they both boys attend independent special schools.
8 weeks summer holidays...

Thats what the £500 they are awarded once a year is for...

But I mean help through tax credits. I don't even know if you claim them but if you do there's that as well.

Weather I doubt they will if attend an independent school?!

That's extortionate BTW.

Is the playscheme staffed on a 1:1 ratio? If so that would explain the cost.

Holy moly. I'm currently feeling super guilty because I'm having to charge a family £25 for a week because I can't get enough funding to cover the specialised help we need to take their child at Easter. I'm getting guilt and emotional blackmail from people over the fact I've had to increase the general cost of our (volunteer led, but all done properly) playscheme to a little more than the £5 a week it's been for years starting from Easter.

Is there no way you can access any other funding to help you out? I'm trying to think of places, but things like the Henry Smith fund wouldn't be any good as it's in your area.

Tbh you would be far better off paying for a temporary nanny in the holidays. You could get a nanny for £400 for the week if only 10-3pm and that would be for both.

If you just want it for respite I would get a temporary special needs experienced nanny. £16 per hour gross. Get them to come two full days 8am-6pm in the holidays. 8-6pm = 10hrs so £160 per day. That's £320 a week for 2 full days care for both of them. Meaning with £500 each you could get someone for three weeks rather than one.
If you reduced hours to say 9-5pm you could get 4 weeks of two full days care for them both.

My special needs nanny charges me £40 an hour. My normal one is £18 an hour.

Does your area have a short breaks scheme have a look on their website ASAP because if it does the closing date for applications is usually around 10/2 it's an additional 500 per child per year that is nothing to do with the personal budgets and not means tested

The £500 is through the short breaks scheme. Im going to look into a Nanny. I need to make what we recieve, go further then 1 week!

That's a shame sorry I thought you meant the £500 was a different thing.

Have you looked into switching it for the hours provision?

thats insane money and yes is it 1 2 1 care?

agree get a nanny (im one and a maternity nurse) and salary varies if you want a sn nanny or just a sensible mature one for about £113/14 gross per hr

No not 1-1 for that price.
Whats hours provision?

Its infuriating. They dont go to any clubs or activities. The boys would never go out if they had their way. I have 2 dd as well. Single parent & no support. Literally begging the Disabled Children's Team for support since last May(when my younger ds was diagnosed).

That is shocking . Dd 8, goes to a specialist ASD school who run a play scheme in the holidays, for £20 a day from 9-3pm, and they take the kids out to activities too. All I have to do is provide a pack lunch.

shineyshoes your right the LEA pay the fees as there is no state school for high functioning children in borough.

Most people don't pay as they can't. The borough we live in is very poor. There are many parents in a much worse place then.i am. Its a disgrace.

Could you hire someone directly 1;2 and pay them really well. Maybe even someone at their existing school?

What the hell. How is that cost even justified.

Can you ask for a breakdown of costs? If it's not 1-1 what ratio is it?

At that price they're receiving £16 an hour, per child. I can't see that being justified except with 1-1 specialists.