FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES Ability West & Brothers of Charity. Home Sharing Contract families Shared Living

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1 Home Sharing Scheme Family Support Services Brothers of Charity Ability West Ballymoneen Road Blackrock House Knocknacarra Salthill Galway Galway Phone FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES Ability West & Brothers of Charity Home Sharing Contract families Shared Living Home Sharing Scheme Galway: Audrey Reilly, Kieran Keon, Michael Flood, Sheelagh McInerney, Cathy Byrne

2 Presentation UNESCO Conference June 13 th /14 th 2013 Home Sharing Scheme: Definition, Ethos, Aim History of Home Sharing in Galway Benefits Video Pathway Training, assessment, matching Further developments: Contract Families, Shared Living Challenges

3 What is Home Sharing? Home Sharing is a family based short break/respite scheme which involves an ordinary family in the community taking a child/young person or adult with an intellectual disability into their home for short breaks and caring for that person as a member of their family. (Home Sharing Documents, 1988)

4 AIMS OF HOME SHARING The services provide supports to enable people with an intellectual disability to avail of the benefits of community living. To give the child/young person/adult a short break. To offer the family a break from continual care. To give the community an opportunity to share in the care of a person with an intellectual disability and to create greater awareness of their needs and aspirations. The service aim to assist each person to reach their full potential throughout their life.

5 History of Home Sharing in Galway Home Sharing was first developed in 1985 to provide respite for a number of people for a week during the summer holidays. It is a joint scheme run by Ability West and the Brothers of Charity.

6 Benefits of Home Sharing Home from home Support for natural families New experiences for all involved. Friendships Individualised Part of the community

7 Who is coming to stay? Some people who provide Home Sharing Video Home Sharing Scheme Galway: Audrey Reilly, Kieran Keon, Michael Flood, Sheelagh McInerney, Cathy Byrne

8 The pathway to becoming a Host Family Complete the application form which includes Names of 3 referees Consent for the scheme to make H.S.E. enquiry Garda Enquiry Form Medical Checks

9 The pathway continued Training Assessment Approvals Panel Matching Introductions Placement Insurance/Contract There is support from Ability West and the Brothers of Charity Family Support Services throughout.

10 Assessment A Social Worker is then assigned to the family to complete the Assessment. This process can take up to four- six visits, each visit lasting approx one to two hours. The applicant (s) is/are interviewed jointly, individually and together as a family. The children/young people are also interviewed.

11 Assessment-continued The Assessment form is based on current H.S.E. Fostering assessment practice. The relevant Social Worker completes and discusses the assessment along with the family. The Social Worker also completes a report with recommendations. The completed Social Work report, assessment form, medical forms, together with Garda Clearance and the H.S.E. enquiry report is presented to the approvals panel

12 The Approval Panel The approval panel comprises The Heads of Social Work from the Brothers of Charity and Ability West, the training facilitators and member of the Health Board Fostering Department. The completed assessment form along with the required paperwork/references are presented. On approval the host family are notified and their name goes forward to the matching process.

13 The Matching Process All requests for Home Sharing from both organizations are presented for matching. The matching panel make the appropriate matches based on knowledge of the families, their skills and abilities relevant to the needs of the service users. The person eventually placed with you may not be the person you had planned to Home Share.

14 What do we mean by a match The perfect match is when ALL the needs of the guest (and his/her family) and ALL the needs of the hosts are met by the arrangement. The closer one gets to the perfect match the easier the arrangement appears to everyone & the longer it will last. No match will be perfect although many matches will seem perfect, with hindsight!

15 Possible Home Sharing arrangements A morning or an afternoon per week One night per month/ week A weekend per month Holiday periods Home Sharing is flexible

16 Getting started Following the matching process introductions then take place. This involves the natural family and service user meeting the Host family. This is facilitated by a designated person from either organization. If all parties are happy to proceed placements are arranged via the Respite Coordinator/ Link worker. Specialist services are also available if it is appropriate to the individual s needs.

17 Ongoing support Ongoing support is provided by your family s Link Worker/ Social Worker Further training is provided as required Regular visits to the Home Home Sharing Family with a review of a regular placement every three years. Expenses are paid to Host Families depending on the arrangement Home Sharing Scheme Galway: Audrey Reilly, Kieran Keon, Michael Flood, Sheelagh McInerney, Cathy Byrne

18 Statistics 65 active Home Sharing Families,, providing short breaks for 35 children and 47 adults. Currently 15 Contract Families are providing 58 guests a total of 2453 sessions per year. 1 Family provide a shared living placement to an adult. 7 families currently interested in Shared Living

19 Developments Over the years families are requesting Home Sharing over traditional residential respite services. Home Sharing has been successful in terms of promoting the person s well-being and life opportunities as well as sharing the care with natural families. Home Sharing has proven to be more familyfriendly and person-centred than traditional residential services. As a consequence, the waiting lists are growing Home Sharing Scheme Galway: Audrey Reilly, Kieran Keon, Michael Flood, Sheelagh McInerney, Cathy Byrne

20 Contract Families In 2007, the Home Sharing scheme was granted funding from Pobal under the Enhancing Disability Programme. This funding has been specifically awarded to develop the scheme of Contract families on a pilot basis for two years. This was based on services in the UK. Pobal recognised the potential for people with disability, both adults and people, to participate in their communities with the support of Contract Families. Important, also, was the recognition that people and adults currently availing of residential placements or waiting for a place may be better served by family placements. Home Sharing Scheme Galway: Audrey Reilly, Kieran Keon, Michael Flood, Sheelagh McInerney, Cathy Byrne

21 What is involved? Previous experience of supporting a person with a disability is essential. A full Home Sharing assessment is required together with the introductory training. Contract Family applicants will be requested to attend mandatory training provided by the services. Contract families are asked to offer 10,16, or 20 nights/ placements per month for 10.5 months of the year. Contract families may have two or more individuals coming to stay during the month. People placed will be those who have been prioritised by the services and the H.S.E. Contracts will be for one year. A review of the placement by each person and his/her family, the Contract Family and the services will be conducted at this stage. Home Sharing Scheme Galway: Audrey Reilly, Kieran Keon, Michael Flood, Sheelagh McInerney, Cathy Byrne

22 Contract Families A monthly retainer is paid for each month for twelve months not exceeding 10,000 Expenses per session are also paid The services will have discretion when organising placements. Home Sharing Scheme Galway: Audrey Reilly, Kieran Keon, Michael Flood, Sheelagh McInerney, Cathy Byrne

23 Shared Living Shared Living is defined as an arrangement in which an individual, couple or family in the community share their life s experiences with a person with a disability on a full-time basis. The term Shared Living invites people to have an experience rather than to work at a job or provide a service. Home Sharing Scheme Galway: Audrey Reilly, Kieran Keon, Michael Flood, Sheelagh McInerney, Cathy Byrne

24 Purpose of Shared Living is to enrich the lives of people with disabilities by matching those who choose this lifestyle with a family or an individual who chooses to open their homes and their hearts. It offers an individual with a disability the opportunity to live with a family. Initially it is aimed to offer Shared Living to people with severe intellectual disabilities currently residing in congregated settings. However the service is being set up to eventually be able to cater for people with a range of disabilities from mild to severe with additional needs. Monthly respite support for the Shared living Family is provided DeafHear.ie

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26 Personal Experiences of Home Sharing Everybody has benefited from this experience. We are under no pressure to have him on a regular basis but we would like to do it every two months It has taught us all patience and tolerance It was tough at the beginning We were amazed at all the personal qualities that it brought out in our own family Home Sharing Scheme Galway: Audrey Reilly, Kieran Keon, Michael Flood, Sheelagh McInerney, Cathy Byrne

27 Cost effectiveness of Home Sharing & Contract Families Home Sharing is a quality, cost effective and Person Centred Service

28 Developments and Challenges Families are requesting Home Sharing over traditional residential respite services. Promoting the person s well-being and life opportunities as well as sharing the care with natural families. Family-friendly and person-centred than traditional residential services. As a consequence, the waiting lists are growing Challenges are traditional view that residential is only option Funding for training, placements and support

29 Thank you! Home Sharing Scheme Galway: Audrey Reilly, Kieran Keon, Michael Flood, Sheelagh McInerney, Cathy Byrne