restbite

[trapper]

hi just like to ask any one if they know any thing about restbite for foster carers i have spoken today to the childrens ss worker and she tells me there is no resoureces for this and cannot help ie a night off or a few hrs to re charge batterys so to speak thanks

[Kate]

Hi, we're not foster carers but have an RO and there is absolutely nothing on offer for us despite me having chronic and disabling health problems. I would think "in theory" there should be respite available for foster carers, but in practice it may well be a postcode lottery. I hope you can sort something out.

[Diane]

I was asked if I wanted to nominate someone I knew to provide respite care for so many nights a year.I do know my GD's brother who is with a mainstream foster carer does put him in respite care and also the birth mother as just had another baby which appears to have gone to her mother who also went on holiday for 2 weeks when the baby was a few weeks old,again went to a foster carer who provides respite care.

Could it be as with so many things that its different for all local authoritys?

Diane

[LLB]

I asked about respite when we were fostering but was told that they did not have a policy for respite for family foster carers and discouraged it! So we had no respite for years despite having a lot of challenging behaviour and one with special needs.

In the end when they were older I did manage to organise some youth camp holidays for one week a year run by the Scripture Union which the LA funded. Therefore it maybe possible to ask, when the children are old enough, whether funding can be provided for children's activity holidays if you are a foster carer.

I did not mention that I wanted respite I just put it forward as to how beneficial it would be for the children to go on these camps.

[trapper]

hi thanks to all for the info its only as i am simply on my own and my family are miles away and other avenues r not suitable thanks

[David Roth]

Respite is one of those services that local authorities ought to provide for foster carers, according to the fostering National Minimum Standards, but in reality I believe it is fairly rare that foster carers actually get any respite.

In order to provide respite care, local authorities would have to have foster carers with vacancies who could take the children for a limited period. However, since most local authority fostering teams are already quite stretched to meet the demand for placements, they are unlikely to have carers available who can offer this service, so as far as I know it is usually only provided for foster carers who are absolutely worn out by a particularly difficult child.

This may vary in different local authorities around the country however.

David R
FRG Policy Adviser