HOLIDAYS & BREAKS SERVICE USERS HANDBOOK

Transcription

1 USERS HANDBOOK Version 1: June 2013

2 Contents Part A Foreword Introduction Section One: Providing holiday breaks; (Download available: Information for Shared Lives carers) Section Two: Finding and arranging holiday breaks; (Downloads available: Information for Scheme Users, Standard Version; and Information for Scheme Users, Easy Read version) Section Three: Registering and Participating in the Holidays and Breaks Service (Download available: Information for Shared Lives schemes) Section Four: Supplementary Guidance for the Holidays and Breaks Service Appendices Frequently Asked Questions Glossary of Terms Used Acknowledgements and Concluding Comment Part B Supplementary Guidance: Documentation Policies, Protocols and Documentation Required Foreword For years, Shared Lives carers and local schemes have been asking why Shared Lives is not available as a way for people to take breaks and holidays in another area of the country. We know that taking a holiday can often be expensive for people who have support needs and it may involve staying somewhere with an institutional feel. We are delighted that we can now offer people a way to take short breaks with Shared Lives carers in ordinary family homes in popular holiday destinations or places where they have family connections. We are grateful to all of the Shared Lives carers and local schemes who have helped us to develop the systems and policies needed to make this the safe and personalised experience which people expect from Shared Lives. This project represents a significant step forward for Shared Lives and we are very much looking forward to hearing about the fun and affordable holidays which we hope hundreds of people will take as a result of all the hard work so far. Alex Fox Chief Executive Officer Shared Lives Plus (Downloads available: see list of documents in section 4) pg 2 pg 3

3 introduction Section 1: Introducing the Holidays and Breaks Service This handbook provides information and guidance about the Shared Lives Plus Holidays and Breaks Service. The Handbook will be distributed to all participating Shared Lives schemes and also to Shared Lives carers listing a holiday break through the database. It is divided into two parts, A and B. Within Part A, you will find sections 1-4 plus appendices. The appendices are: a Glossary of Terms Used and a Frequently Asked Questions. Sections 1-3 provide information for Shared Lives scheme users, Shared Lives carers and Shared Lives schemes respectively. Section 4 explains the range of supplementary guidance that is required for the new service, all of which is included in Part B of this Handbook. Providing Holidays Breaks (Download: Information for Shared Lives Carers) Included in this Section: Preparing and Creating a Holiday Listing Agreeing and Arranging a Holiday Break Monitoring and Evaluating Holidays and Breaks Part B contains all of the documentation, ie policies, protocols and forms required in relation to participation and active involvement in the Holidays and Breaks Service. The guidance located within Part B of the Handbook is specific to the Holidays and Breaks Service and is intended to be supplementary to the existing Guidance for Shared Lives Schemes, produced by Shared Lives Plus and available to all Shared Lives members via the Shared Lives Plus website. pg 4 pg 5

4 Information for Shared Lives Carers A core aim of the Shared Lives Plus Holidays and Breaks Service is to increase the opportunity for Shared Lives service users to have affordable and accessible holiday breaks. Many Shared Lives carers live in, or near, popular holiday destinations and places of interest, and already have the skills, experience and resources to provide such breaks. Shared Lives Plus, working with the existing networks of Shared Lives schemes and Shared Lives carers, has established a directory of Shared Lives carers who wish to offer holidays or breaks to people living outside of the carer s local area. The Directory is in the form of an online database which can be searched via the Shared Lives website. When the listing form is complete it is submitted to the administrator for the Holiday and Breaks Service at Shared Lives Plus. There is a dedicated address for this and for notification of any additions or changes to existing listings. Recording the information in a consistent format is important to the search process and will help scheme users to find suitable holidays. Collectively the Shared Lives Carers Listings form the basis of the On-line Directory of all the holiday breaks on offer. Agreeing and Arranging a Holiday Break All Shared Lives carers listed as holiday providers in the On-line Directory need to have existing and current approval with a Shared Lives scheme. A carer who wishes to provide holiday breaks via the service first needs to agree their participation with their local scheme, which must be willing for the carers to participate in the holidays and breaks service, offering breaks within their own homes. Carers who are part of a participating Shared Lives scheme will then fill in a Carers Listing to provide detailed information about the carer and the holiday breaks they can offer. The form and guidance is in Section 4 and the completed form must be approved by the local scheme, before it can be added to the directory. Shared Lives carers who provide holidays and breaks will continue to work within the Shared Lives Plus Guidance (the policies, procedures and guidelines that cover all aspects of good practice for Shared Lives support) just as they would in their general work as Shared Lives carers. A full list of Shared Lives policy and guidance can be found in the Section 4. The additional guidance needed for the Holidays and Breaks Service, in Sections 3 and 4, explains how core processes such as matching, safeguarding, contingency planning and risk management have been adapted for the Holidays and Breaks Service and they are essential to ensure support offered meets the requirements of regulatory bodies (such as CQC and CSSIW). Holidays and breaks must be booked through the carers local scheme. This is to prevent any situations arising which are not covered by Shared Lives agreements, such as private arrangements, and duplication of work, as such arrangements may violate regulations or fall outside insurance cover. When a person searches the directory they may find a number of suitable matches. The search facility can be used to narrow these down to the most compatible results. The individual will then be able to contact the scheme contact which appears on the Carer Listing. This will include information about who to contact for additional information ie the carer or the scheme, how to progress with the matching process, what fees are payable and how and how to confirm the holiday booking. Once the holiday break has been identified and a booking has been made, the individual s local scheme will supply the host Shared Lives carer and the carer s local scheme with the person s support plan and related information. Further information about the matching process can be found in Section 3, and a protocol for working across scheme is in included in Section 4. Evaluating and Monitoring the holiday break Preparing and Creating a Holiday Listing Once Shared Lives carers have an agreement with their scheme to provide holiday breaks, they can create an on-line listing of the holiday break available by completing the Carers Listing Form. This can be completed on-line or on paper. The form asks for details about the carer, the accommodation, the facilities, the location and what support and resources they can offer when providing a holiday break. The form also asks for information about any specific training, experience and specialist support the carer is able to provide. There is a section on information on what holiday attractions or places of interest are in the local area. All of this information is important in helping to find matches between Shared Lives carers providing holidays and breaks and scheme users searching for holiday breaks by using the online directory. Attached to the form is section by section guidance regarding completion. All four parties (the service user, Shared Lives carer and both Shared Lives schemes) will be asked to complete a brief evaluation form and return it to the administrator at Shared Lives Plus. The information from the forms will provide a clear indication of how well the new service is meeting its aims, and will be used to inform any changes or improvements that could be made. Individual schemes or organisation may also have their own internal systems of evaluating and monitoring the holiday breaks and may ask for these to be completed. pg 6 pg 7

5 Guidance and Service Information for Scheme Users This section outlines each stage in using the Holidays and Breaks Service, from planning a holiday, finding a holiday, confirming the arrangements to taking the holiday. People could use the Holidays and Breaks Service to: section 2: Using the Service go to an entertainment, music or sporting event visit a new area or a tourist attraction try an activity relax and take a break from day-to-day routines experience new things rest and recharge their batteries create an opportunity to meet new people maintain existing friendships and relationships with contacts in other areas spend time on chosen cultural, lifestyle or leisure activities improve health and well being gain greater independence. (Download: Information for Scheme Users standard version) (Download: Information for Scheme Users - easy read Included in this Section: Preparing to use the Holiday and Breaks Service Planning a holiday break, guidance and checklist Using the On-line Directory to find a holiday Search results and deciding the right holiday break Making arrangements for holidays and breaks Evaluating the holiday break Preparing to Use the Holidays and Breaks Service Planning is vital in helping people turn their holiday ideas into a holiday reality. People plan their holidays and short breaks in different ways and may need different degrees of support. Some scheme users will plan their own holiday breaks and then discuss it with their Shared Lives carers and/or their social worker / care manager. A checklist, Planning My Holiday Break, has been produced to help people to come up with their own holiday wish list. The checklist, (see Section 4), can also help with deciding what search information to put into the database and identify which Shared Lives carers offer matching or similar holiday breaks. This will help people find out what is available or possible and that meets their needs and wishes. When an individual is interested in taking a holiday or break, their own Shared Lives carer and/or local scheme may wish to help them to think about: Doing something the person always wanted to have a go at Doing something the person likes doing but has limited opportunity Meeting new people, this might include events, short courses and skills building Meeting people they know to socialise or maintain contacts and relationships pg 8 pg 9

6 The individual may also need support to think through the practicalities of their preferred break or holiday: What kind of support, if any, the person needs during the break What kind of accommodation the person wants / needs Where they would like to be How they might get there and back Other practical factors eg money, medication, equipment What times of day would they like to do things Which days they would prefer to be away Using the online Directory Section 3: Anyone interested in Shared Lives Holidays will be able to browse the listings on the database and to use the search facility. There is online guidance to help with completion of the search fields. When the submit search box is selected, the database will begin matching key words against Shared Lives carers details and will display the closest matches. To make a holiday booking, the person s Shared Lives own scheme must be registered with the Holidays and Breaks service. When a suitable holiday option is found the relevant host scheme can be contacted to discuss the next steps. Meeting the requirements of the service (Download: Information for Shared Lives Schemes) Making Arrangements for, and Booking a Holiday Break Each listing will contain details of a named contact from the host scheme who can provide further information about each specific break. The host scheme named contact will also be able to provide details about the matching process and about arrangements for booking the break. When a holiday booking is being considered, the relevant host scheme must be contacted with the booking request and will need to be fully involved, as they would be in setting up any Shared Lives arrangement. This is a requirement of the Holidays and Breaks Service and is explained further in Section 3. Evaluating the Holiday Break It is important that each person who uses the Holidays and Breaks Service has a say in how the service is organised and run and that they have the opportunity to tell us what they think about their holiday experience. After each holiday break we will ask each party to complete an evaluation form. This will be used to determine how well the different aspects of the service are working and to get ideas about ways we may be able to do things better. Included in this section: Membership, the basics of registering and participation Policy, practice and procedures Maintaining standards of care / quality assurance Working across schemes and across sectors The matching process Risk and risk management Safeguarding Contingency planning Monitoring and evaluation of the holidays and breaks Financial aspects of the holidays and breaks service pg 10 pg 11

7 Membership The Basics of Registering and Participation Schemes who wish to participate in the Service will need to complete an online registration process. Contact the Shared Lives Plus Holidays and Breaks Administrator, who will issue an electronic link and log-in reference number giving access to the Welcome page of the Holidays and Breaks members area. On your first visit, you will be asked to complete a short electronic registration form in order to be added to the list of participating schemes. A scheme named contact will be required. The named contact will be notified when the registration is activated. Named contacts will then be able to log in to the Holidays and Breaks members area to add Carers Listing Forms linked to the scheme. The named contact can also make additions or changes to the scheme s registration details and/or the Carer Listing Forms linked to their scheme. Information on Carers Listing Forms and related guidance can be found in Section Contingency planning 5. Compliance with regulatory bodies 6. Quality Assurance 7. Finance ie fees, charges and payment. Each of the seven issues is expanded on below and the range of related documents, including policies, protocols and model agreement forms can be found within Part B of this Handbook. We expect to continue to develop this guidance in partnership with participating schemes. Maintaining Standards of Care and Quality Assurance Any scheme providing registered Shared lives support and who has current Shared Lives Plus membership is eligible to participate in the Holidays and Breaks Service. Participating Shared Lives schemes and all individual Shared Lives carers listed as holiday providers will need to work within the existing Shared Lives Plus Guidance on policy and practice, supplemented by this Handbook. Used together, the Shared Lives Guidance and the Holidays and Breaks Handbook should respond to the requirements of regulatory bodies in relation to provision of Shared Lives Holidays and Breaks provision. A protocol Holidays and Breaks Arrangements and Compliance with Regulatory Bodies is, included in Section 4, which identifies where there are specific requirements to be met. For instance, as in any Shared Lives arrangement, holidays and breaks must be arranged and monitored by the host Shared Lives scheme, never booked directly with the Shared Lives carer. This is to ensure that the Holidays and Breaks Service complies with the requirements of regulatory bodies in England and Wales. Private arrangements contravene Shared Lives Plus guidance and potentially the requirements of insurance providers, therefore supplementary guidance is included here to clarify the issue. Working Across Schemes and Across Sectors In many areas of policy and practice common approaches do exist and there are similar procedural requirements across the network of Shared Lives schemes, as outlined in the existing guidance pack. For example, the criteria for access to Shared Lives support, and the assessment, approval and training of Shared Lives carers. Policy Practice and Procedures Guidance on several issues is included in this handbook and has been developed where aspects of the Holidays and Breaks service were considered to differ from general Shared Lives support. The issues are:- 1. Matching 2. Risk and risk management 3. Safeguarding Shared Lives carers offering holidays will need to be approved and working within a registered Shared Lives scheme. This will ensure, as with all carers, that their practice meets the requirements of their local scheme as regards the Carer Assessment, induction training, approval, carer reviews etc. Before a holiday break can take place, a person accessing Shared Lives support will have a current assessment of need, a personal support plan, a decision that Shared Lives is deemed a suitable model for delivering the person s support and completed risk assessments and /or health and medication plans. The documents within Section 4 aim to address areas where there may be local differences in policy or practice and include a protocol for working across local authority boundaries, a model Holiday Break Agreement and a Policy Compliance Checklist. The guidance addresses the risk of inconsistent practice. pg 12 pg 13

8 The Matching Process Safeguarding Regardless of the length and purpose of the stay, matching is crucial. Suggestions on how to adapt matching processes to fit different situations is already set out in the Shared Lives Guidance and some elements of matching remain unchanged within the Holiday Breaks context. Supplementary guidance relating to the matching process and the requirements to be built into the individual Holiday Agreement Form can be found in Section 4. In each individual situation, attention should be given to any matching methods specified as a requirement by the scheme/s involved, by a specific regulator and / or by the individual. This Handbook is complimentary to the Safeguarding Adults policy of the area in which the Holidays and Breaks will take place, which will always be followed. All approved Shared Lives carers must have completed current safeguarding training and be aware of their local policy and procedure. There is Shared Lives Plus guidance on safeguarding against abuse and neglect, and on safe relationships which contain general advice. The online Carers Listing includes information about the training courses that they have completed, which should include Safeguarding training. Again the Holiday Breaks Agreement Form can be used to specify the scheme procedures or requirements to be followed. Matching information made available by the individual and the Shared Lives carer can include written information, audio / visual information, virtual meetings and actual meetings, with supplementary information shared by telephone or Skype conversations. The policy recommends including both written and virtual media to assist the matching process. In some situations a face to face matching process will be required via introductory meetings (such as the Shared Lives carer being paid to visit the individual) or overnight stays. In situations where there is a clear indication that someone s individual support needs are of a complex or specific nature, additional support-planning, risk management or contingency plans must be identified and put in place. See the Holidays and Breaks Matching document and Holiday Agreement Form located in Section 4. Before the break can be agreed, the individual, the Shared Lives carer and both schemes must agree that the match is a good one and that all the relevant information has been shared. Contingency Planning Unexpected events and/or unexpected responses to events which cause emergencies and crises can arise in any situation. Before the holiday begins it is important that appropriate contingency arrangements are put in place and recorded within the Holidays and Breaks Agreement Form and agreed to by all parties. A protocol within Section 4 of this Handbook sets out the need to identify who will be responsible for each aspect of the contingency plan, including who is to notify regulatory bodies should this be required and who will arrange and provide any alternative support needed. Assessing Risk and Risk Management Effective Monitoring and Evaluation Taking risks is a normal aspect of maximising independence. Holiday breaks will often include trying new activities and being in unfamiliar situations. Shared Lives carers often support individuals to experience new things and enable people to take risks in a responsible way, balancing the person s right to feel safe, secure and supported, their individual needs and preferences and the well-being of Shared Lives carers and their families or others in the household. In situations where holiday activities requested by a person involve certain hazards or potential harm an appropriate risk assessment will be needed. Copies of any pre-existing risk management plans should be available to the Shared Lives carer/s supporting the person during the holiday break. The risk assessment of the Shared Lives carer s home which is usually undertaken by the scheme during the carer s assessment and approval process may also be relevant to risk assessment and management during the holiday break so should also be available. Details of risk assessments and risk management plans needed should be included within the holiday agreement. Monitoring and evaluation is essential to the Holidays and Breaks Service developing in ways that reflect the wishes and best interests of people using Shared Lives. Having gathered together information from the monitoring that we have done during the year, we will liaise with participants to identify anything which needs to change, and determine any actions required. Financial Aspects of Holidays and BREAKS We have decided in conjunction with schemes that a one size fits all approach is not realistic. However, some common approaches can be used within the four aspects of funding, charging, fees and payments. pg 14 pg 15

9 It is important, however, that the fees which the host Shared Lives scheme will charge for the break are as clear as possible from the outset. As in any Shared Lives arrangement, it is expected that the charge levied by the Shared Lives scheme will include provision for the payment to the Shared Lives carer plus fees to cover the costs of the scheme s work in matching, monitoring and administrating the arrangement. Council-run Shared Lives schemes are allowed to recover the costs of their work under Fairer Charging guidance. Independently-run Shared Lives schemes are free to set their own prices for providing Shared Lives arrangements. The Shared Lives scheme local to the service user may decide to charge the individual for the work they carry out in facilitating the break. It is likely that charges will be higher the first time somebody is matched with a Shared Lives carer, with less work required for subsequent breaks with the same Shared Lives carer. Funding - there are three ways that a holiday break can be funded:- Fully funded by the local authority, including breaks paid for as part of the main Shared Lives carer s respite entitlement; Partially funded, with the cost of the break shared between the individual and their local authority. An example might be where the cost of the holiday break is higher than the respite breaks portion of a personal budget and the individual funds the top-up amount; Self-funded holiday breaks, for example where the person has no short breaks allocation (or has used the allocated amount) but requests, and is able to pay, for a holiday break themselves. In this first stage of development the Holidays and Breaks Service will be available specifically to people who have been assessed as eligible for Shared Lives support within their individual community care assessment. Where someone has had such an assessment but taken the option of Self Directed Support through a Direct Payment, there is no reason why there could not be further negotiation with the respective local authority providing the person could meet other requirements regarding information that would need to be available within the holiday matching process. A person could then access the holiday breaks service with their local authority arranging to issue an invoice or make a one-off reduction to amount of the Direct Payment to recover the cost of the holiday break. Carers Fees charged in respect of the Holidays and Breaks Service At present, there is nothing to prohibit FACS-eligible ordinarily resident people in any area receiving support from service providers external to their own geographic areas, providing standards of care and good practice are met. Such arrangements are common for complex or specialist placements and are in keeping with person-centred support. Charges for participating in the Holidays and Breaks Service For the first three years no charge for registering or participating in the service will be made from Shared Lives Plus. For the longer term continuity of the service, it is anticipated that an arrangement will be developed to fund the maintenance and administration of the on-line directory. There is a commitment to keep any future cost as low as practicable. It may be that a small charge or membership fee on both sides of the arrangement will be the best method of funding the directory after the year three initial period, to make the service self-funding and therefore sustainable on an on-going basis. Some Shared Lives schemes are already considering if their participation in the arrangements of holidays / short breaks warrants an administration / management fee to cover the time and contribution of their own scheme workers. This is an issue for individual Shared Lives schemes to consider as part of their own agreements with other participating schemes, Shared Lives carers and potential scheme users. Payments At present, as with the arrangements for fees and charges, there is no specific system proposed for making payments to Shared Lives carers. However, there is a key requirement for any system of making payments to the Shared Lives carers providing the holiday breaks, that all payments must be made via a Shared Lives scheme and not paid directly by another carer or scheme user. If this requirement is not met, the financial transaction could be deemed to constitute a private arrangement. The objective of the Holidays and Breaks Service is that participation should be widely accessible to all member schemes. To assist and enable some transparency as regards charging and payments, it is suggested that schemes fee bandings appear on each linked Carer s Listing Form and that the relevant rate relating to a prospective holiday break is entered onto the holiday agreement at the point of agreeing and confirming the arrangements. Any additional charges for transport, activities and/or additional support can also be entered onto the agreement form enabling a final cost for the holiday break to be calculated and the method of payment agreed. Again due to the diversity and range of organisational requirements, there is no specific recommendation as to how the level of charges should be calculated and set. The Shared Lives Guidance contains a model for calculating the minimum amount to be paid as Carers Fees. We would recommend that carers fees charged in relation to the holiday breaks service reflect (and do not fall below) this amount plus any additional costs the carers may incur due to the support needed and provided. pg 16 pg 17

10 PART A - Why supplementary guidance is needed This section of the Handbook contains the documentation relating to procedural and operational aspects of the Holidays and Breaks Service. In order for the service and participating schemes to all work together confidently and effectively across areas and organisations, common agreements and expectations in relation to policy and practice need to be established. The supplementary guidance within this section (Part B) intends to address this. Section 4: Supplementary guidance, policy and protocols for the Holidays and Breaks service. Included in this Section: Why supplementary guidance is needed List of Documentation In registering with the service, schemes are demonstrating an intention to work together to offer and take up holiday breaks and need an identifiable system to do this. It is an expectation of registration with the Service participating schemes will work within the existing Shared Lives Guidance. The Guidance covers the areas of policy, procedure and practice required by regulatory bodies. Working within the Guidance provides the basis on which the new service is able to demonstrate that compliance with regulatory requirements is addressed. It was recognised that supplementary guidance was needed in areas which relate specifically to the provision of holiday type breaks as outlined in Section 3. Further guidance and related documentation including protocols and model agreement forms are included within this section. To have confidence in the system, a method route for identifying common ground between schemes is needed. A Compatibility Checklist, has been developed and is included in this section as form HBS3 supported by a protocol for Shared Lives schemes working together, HBS 4. Use of this form will help establish a joint agreement for carers working between schemes. Practice guidance for the Holidays and Breaks Service is based on the existing model currently used within Shared Lives. Setting up an arrangement for Shared Lives support, for however short or long a period of time, will need to undergo a clear process. The sequence for the Holidays and Breaks Service begins with a screening process, via the on-line search, to identify potential holiday breaks, progresses through a matching and introduction process to a planning and arrangement stage, monitors delivery and evaluates the outcome of the holiday break. All of these stages will be stated and confirmed by carers, scheme users and both schemes within the holiday arrangement agreement.. In Sections 1-3 of this handbook, each aspect of the process is considered from the different perspectives of Shared Lives service user, Shared Lives carer and Shared Lives scheme and the documentation has been designed to reflect and support this. The documents likely to be used by Shared Lives service users will be produced in both standard and easy read version HBS 5 and 5ER, the Holiday Break Arrangement Form HBS 6, the holiday breaks three way agreement HBS 7 and the Holiday Break Evaluation in both standard and easy read version HBS 8 and 8ER, and are all included within part B of this section. pg 18 pg 19

11 Supplementary Holidays and Breaks Guidance Several areas of the Shared Lives Plus Holidays and Breaks service were identified as requiring specific policy documentation, over and above the existing general Shared Lives guidance. Issues relating to each of these have been outlined in Section 3 and supplementary guidance on each additional area is also included within part B following. Documentation relating to the Holidays and Breaks Service introduction APPENDICES: This is the full list of policy documents, protocols and forms located in Part B of this Handbook as supplementary guidance: Holidays and Breaks Service (HBS) Record of Scheme Registration (form and e-form) 2. Shared Lives Carers Listing - form and guidance 3. Policies and Procedures - compliance checklist Frequently Asked Questions Glossary Acknowledgements 4. Protocol for working across schemes to provide holiday breaks 5. Planning my holiday break - scheme users checklist (+ 5ER, Easy Read version) 6. Holidays and Breaks Arrangement Form 7. Holidays and Breaks Agreement Form (+ 7ER Easy Read version) 8. Evaluating the Holiday Break (form and e-form) 9. The Matching Process 10. Risk and Risk Management 11. Safeguarding 12. Contingency Planning 13. Service Standards and Quality Assurance 14. Financial Aspects of the Holidays and Breaks Service (Fees, costs, charges and payments) 15. Information Sharing and Consent (form) 16. Holiday Breaks Concerns and Complaints (form) pg 20 pg 21

12 Frequently Asked Questions Q: How will it work? There are many Shared Lives carers living in popular holiday destinations and places of interest and they already have the skills and resources to offer holiday breaks. Developing the On-line catalogue / directory has created an opportunity for Shared Lives schemes and Shared Lives carers to work together and identify the holiday breaks available. The policies and practices of the new Service mainly comprise the existing Shared Lives Guidance which is currently used by the majority of Shared Lives schemes. Some additional guidance was needed and a Handbook containing this has been developed for the new service covering issues relating specifically to the provision of holiday breaks. Q: Is it a New Respite Service? The Holiday and Short Break Service Explained This paper gives an overview of the new Holidays and Breaks service responding to Frequently Asked Questions. Issues referred to here are covered in more detail within the Service Handbook Q: What is the Shared Lives Plus Holidays and Breaks Service? The Holidays and Breaks Service is a completely new service based on the idea of using the wide networks of Shared Lives schemes and Shared Lives carers to offer Holidays and Breaks. Over the past year work has been undertaken with schemes and carers to put together a directory of approved Shared Lives carers with the time, space, and interest to offer holiday breaks. Scheme users can search the directory on the Shared Lives Website to see the holiday breaks on offer. Q: What is different about the new service? The service is different to more traditional holiday breaks provision in its aim to extend opportunities for affordable and accessible holiday / short breaks by using the Shared Lives networks. Through collaborative working with registered Shared Lives schemes and Shared Lives carers, we have set up a system which will enable people to find a Shared Lives holiday break outside of their own local geographic or council area. The short answer is to this is no. The Holiday and Breaks Service very specifically aims to extend the range of accessible and affordable holiday choices. In the past, respite has meant a stay with local Shared Lives carers or in a residential or nursing home for planned respite or to deal with an unexpected emergency. Whilst this has provided suitable support in many situations, people often wanted more choice about how, where. and when their breaks could be taken. Sometimes people simply want to go on holiday. The Holidays and Breaks Service will increase choice by identifying holidays offered by Shared Lives carers and providing details of these through using the On-line database. Q: Who is the Holidays and Breaks Service for? The Holidays and Breaks Service is for people who are making use of some type of shared lives arrangements ie short stay, long stay or day support, through their local Shared Lives scheme. However, the service is intended to benefit anyone whose care assessment has indicated that they would benefit from Shared Lives support. Q: Can Anyone Use the Holidays and Breaks On-line Directory? Anyone will be able to search the directory and browse the holiday breaks listed. To arrange or book a holiday, the person s local Shared Lives scheme will need to have Shared Lives Plus membership and be registered with the Holidays and Breaks Service. Q: Who Provides the Holidays / Short Breaks? All of the holiday breaks offered and listed in the Directory will be provided by approved Shared Lives carers in that carer s own home. pg 22 pg 23

13 Q: How Do Shared Lives Carers Join the Holidays and Breaks Service and On-line Directory? To be listed in the On-line Directory, a Shared Lives carer will need to have current approval with a registered Shared Lives scheme. All schemes in England and Wales who are members of Shared Lives Plus are eligible to sign up to the Holiday Breaks Service. The carer will need an agreement with their own scheme to provide holiday breaks. In meeting these conditions, carers can demonstrate to other participating schemes that they are experienced carers with the current knowledge, training, skills and ability to provide Shared Lives support within the range of their existing approval. This will underpin the details they enter into the Directory through the Carers Listing Form which has been developed to record the carers information in a consistent format. Glossary Q: How Does Someone Find a Holiday Break? People looking for a holiday can put details of the holiday they are looking for into the search facility of the online database. Their search can cover include a range of issues such as area/s, supported needs and other important details. The Directory can then search through the listing and display potential matches with the carers listings. When matches are found, the next step is to check out the potential match and make a booking. The online carer listing will provide information on how to do this. Q: When will the short break service be available? The on-line database will be on-line from late June From this point further holiday listing will continue to be added to the Directory as they are received by Shared Lives Plus. Q: How will the Service be funded? A DoH grant was awarded to cover the development period and the set up and operational costs for the first three years. There will be no charges by Shared Lives Plus for schemes participating in the service during the first three years. Longer term, it is anticipated that some arrangement will be developed to fund the maintenance of the on-line directory. This may be through a charge / registration fee after year 3 to make the service self-funding / sustainable. There is a commitment to keep any cost as low as practicable. Q: What will be the cost / charges to schemes? Some Shared Lives schemes may decide that their participation in the Holidays and Breaks Service warrants an administration / management fee to cover their own time contributions. This is an issue for individual Shared Lives scheme to consider as part of their own arrangements. List and Explanation of Terms Used The terms used within this handbook when referring to a particular group of people, specific services, and / or organisations are mainly familiar terms, such as carer, scheme user and scheme, and their use in this Handbook adheres to the explanation of terminology within the Shared Lives Guidance. Terms that have been used specifically in relation to the Holiday and Breaks Service and these are clarified below. Carers Listing Form A form developed for use within the new Holidays and Breaks Service to record information relating to the Shared Lives carer/s and details of the break/s available. Host Carer A Shared Lives carer listed with the service and providing a holiday to a person from another Scheme Host Scheme The Shared Lives scheme (registered with the Holiday and Breaks Service) that is linked with / has approved the Host Carer/s providing a holiday to a person from another scheme. Participating Scheme A Shared Lives scheme / organisation registered with the Holidays and Breaks Service. pg 24 pg 25

14 Requesting Scheme The Shared Lives scheme linked to the individual searching for or taking a holiday break with a carer from another scheme. Regulator / Regulatory Body An organisation responsible for standards and inspection of social care services (including Shared Lives schemes / organisations) within the four countries of the United Kingdom. As the service covers England and Wales, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and the Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW) are specifically mentioned. Supplementary Guidance The range of guidance developed specifically to respond to the requirements of the new Holidays and Breaks Service. See HBS listing within in section 4 of the Handbook. The Service The Holidays and Breaks Service The Database The storage tool that holds information on all participating scheme and carers. Acknowledgements In developing the new Holidays and Breaks Service, Shared Lives Plus has worked in collaboration with a number of Shared Lives Schemes and a range of organisations who have contributed their time, expertise and knowledge in support of the development process. This has been invaluable in establishing a new service which we anticipate will be of benefit to many members of the Shared Lives community. We would like to both acknowledge and thank you for this. The Online Directory The full range of available holidays and breaks to be viewed via the Shared Lives website The Administrator The dedicated (part-time) administration officer employed by Shared Lives Plus to oversee and update the On-line Directory of holidays and breaks. We hope you will all benefit from the new service and look forward to on-going developments and successes as a result of the collective contributions. Our Sincere Thanks and Happy Holidays pg 26 pg 27

15 Contact Us: Holidays and Breaks Service Administrator G04 The Cotton Exchange Old Hall Street Liverpool L3 9JR Telephone: Main Office: pg 28