Respite services consultation

Respite care for people with physical disabilities in Hampshire

Hampshire County Council offers a number of respite options for Hampshire residents, dependent upon an individual's wishes or requirements.

Building based respite provision for adults

Hampshire County Council would be able offer building-based respite services at a number of its other facilities across Hampshire, including residential and nursing homes such as Oakridge residential and nursing home in Basingstoke, for those individuals who wanted to go there.

Croft House in Fareham is currently run by Hampshire County Council as a residential care home offering respite care and crisis care for people with learning disabilities. Re-configuring its current usage (currently only six beds / rooms are in use) would allow it to also be used to offer respite for people who might currently use John Darling Mall. Should a decision be taken to close John Darling Mall, then the Council will explore this option to provide respite services for people with physical disabilities, including potential dedicated sessions for people with physical disabilities.

Hindson House is a 6-bed respite unit for people with learning disabilities located in Basingstoke that is owned and run by Hampshire County Council. All rooms and facilities are fully accessible for people with physical disabilities; in the event that John Darling Mall should close then the Council will explore the use of this facility to also provide respite services for people with physical disabilities, including potential dedicated sessions for people with physical disabilities.

Other Hampshire County Council facilities that would also be considered include Orchard Close a 15-bed respite unit for people with learning disabilities located on Hayling Island. The option of potentially using Jacob’s Lodge, a residential home for people with learning disabilities in Totton would also be considered.

Extra Care Housing scheme

Based on the outcomes of the meetings with individual service users, in the event that a decision is made to close John Darling Mall, the Council would look at leasing an adequate number of flats in existing Extra Care Housing schemes on a long-term basis that could be used for respite. Potential sites have been identified, and the Council would work to ensure there would be an appropriate geographical distribution of flats to meet the requirements of those people who may wish to use such facilities.

Shared Lives scheme

Hampshire County Council is currently looking to review and expand its Shared Lives service. The Shared Lives scheme is a service provided by individuals and families in their own home across Hampshire who want to offer a vulnerable person a short break, day care or long term care. Within the proposals is the requirement to recruit more specialist Shared Lives carers, including for people with physical disabilities, who could offer respite. Should the decision be made to close John Darling Mall, then the Shared Lives scheme would pro-actively recruit carers who could offer respite for people with physical disabilities.

Carer replacement services

There are a number of organisations that offer a carer replacement service, offering respite for both carer and service user. This involves provision of respite in the home of the service user, allowing the carer to take a break, whilst the service user stays at home. The market consists of national organisations such as Interserve Healthcare as well as local providers such as Logacare, based in Farnham.

A number of these organisations also offer services with a carer accompanying the service user and usual carer on holidays, managing their clinical and care needs, allowing the whole family to holiday together.

Accessible holidays

There are a number of organisations that provide holidays for people with physical disabilities. These holidays tend to fall into 2 categories; those that offer accessible accommodation for people with disabilities and those that offer care / support to the service user as part of the package. In the case of the former, in order to provide respite to the usual carer, it may be necessary to purchase additional care to accompany them on holiday.

Netley Waterside House (Netley, Southampton), run by Revitalise offers short breaks and holidays (respite care) for disabled people and carers. The breaks include a wide range of activities and excursions with 24-hour nursing care on-call and personal support.

Holidays for All acts as an umbrella organisation covering a number of UK charities and specialist tour companies that offer holidays, both in the UK and abroad, to people with disabilities. It encompasses different organisations, offering holidays and breaks, including Calvert Trust, Holidays with Help, Livability Holidays and Access Travel. For younger adults (18-25), Phab offers a variety of holidays and residential projects.

There are also a number of commercial disabled holidays travel agents, offering the same services as mainstream travel agents, however specialising in holidays for people with disabilities. One such agency is Disabled Holiday Directory which works in partnership with mainstream tour operators.