Respite Care ?

[KatieMac]

Hi I'm a childminder and it has been suggested that I offer respite care.

This seems a lovely idea but I have had no training with regard to disabilities etc and I am concerned that what I can offer will not be enough iyswim - I thought you M-netters would be able to offer advise and opinions

I do have firstaid etc but no specialist training.

What do you think?

KatieMac - are you talking about having children come and stay overnight with you and your family for short periods?

It is a fantastic service, often a life-saver to families. BUT you need to think about the impact on your own family. (I don't know how old your own children are). Children needing respite are not always SN children, but may come with specific difficulties because of a traumatic background. I would ask social services about some further training before proceeding further, as a lot of the issues are going to be the same as for fostering.

My parents did short-term and long-term fostering throughout my childhood, and I have to say I resented it at the time, and I still resent it now.

No it was suggested by SS as an alternative to fostering for a few hours weekly to fit in with the childminding during the day - however no training appears to be avaliable (but bear in mind my relations with SS at the moment are quite strained.)

Dd1 had respite care when she was small, but she didn't really have any special needs with regards to specialist training by the carer. It was mainly so we could have a break from her. If they aren't giving you training, maybe the children they will be sending don't have any specific medical problems, just mobility issues, or developmental delay, for example. It was great for us, when we had the right carer, really gave us a much needed break.

KatieMac,
I am a Childminder who offers respite care. I do have experience with special needs, but would suggest you look into a company called 'Lifeways' who employ people to provide respite care in their own homes. The selection and training is very good. If I can get a link for you I will later.

katiemac agree with lou33, the children you would respite for would have development delays and would have normal behaviour. My dd has SN and she is just like a normal child but alot slower and with mobility problems, I leave her with friends etc. and no-one has ever had any difficulties with her. I know of one mumsnetter who gets respite just for a few hours a week and her dd isnt any trouble either

Wasn't actually worried about difficulties - more concerned that i wouldn't be good enough - not that they would cause any trouble.

Norma would appreciate the link - after recent experiences don't want to go into this without careful thought & discussion

Hi Katiemac, we used to get respite care for dd2 (overall developmental delay) every other week for a few hours, from a charity who employed nurses. Most of the children they cared for had medical needs so all the carers were qualified nurses. There doesn't seem to be much other provision in this area; I'm sure you would be a lifeline to families who have an SN child without major medical needs who just need a short break every so often to recharge their batteries.

Our carer used to come to our house for a few hours during the working day, so I don't think we had an impact on her family (although one of her other respite children was terminally ill, and she did give up a lot of her time during the night etc before he died to help the family). Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

this
link might help you. I contacted them and they sent me a very informative pack detailing exactly what a childminder might be able to provide. Where I live lifeways have the contract from social services to provide respite care. They are a nationwide company though.