Would you prefer a short break, or some respite?

It seems the government has decided that what parents of disabled children previously called 'respite' now has to be called a 'short break'. This came to light as part of Aiming High for Disabled Children (AHDC), the government's transformation programme for disabled children and young people.

Last summer, we asked parents what a short break was for them. Their responses made for interesting reading - you can read them here.

Arguably, what parents described as a 'short break' would not fit in with the traditional vision of 'respite' in terms of, say, a respite home where children and young people go to give their parents a break from caring duties. Whilst the need for a break without their disabled child was still a vital support mechanism for some parents (and no doubt sometimes a welcome break for the child or young person too), for others a short break was more about having a carer to provide the support needed for the whole family to do something together rather than apart, and to allow parents to relax and focus on other members of the family. Perhaps that's partly why the government changed the name? (I seem to recall it was after consultation with parents.)

A short break for some of the parents was being able to do things that many of us are lucky enough to take for granted, like being able to go out for a meal or to enjoy a relaxing bath.

There were a few parents who said they preferred the term 'respite' because they felt it was a more accurate description of what they needed. But whatever we choose to call it, everyone agreed that more parents need more of it.

The government recognises this and has given Local Authorities additional money to develop more short breaks, and expect them to involve families in deciding what those short breaks should be. If you'd like to know what Cambridgeshire is doing with its share of the short break pot, take a look at the pinpoint short breaks page.

And if you're the parent of a disabled child, let me know if you've managed to get a short break (or some respite) recently.