What is respite?

Respite is when a carer and the person they care for are supported to have a break from their normal routine and demands of their caring situation.

Short breaks are an essential part of the overall support that families need to help them care for their family member. Short breaks provide positive outcomes for all those involved, these include:

• A break from day to day routines
• A chance to enjoy new experiences and meet new people
• Time to rest and recharge the batteries
• Opportunities to maintain friendships
• Time to pursue personal interests, leisure or cultural activities
• Improved health and well being
• Greater independence and self confidence
• Strengthened relationships
• Building capacity within families and the people we support

Archway’s Respite Services

Our residential respite services located across Aberdeen provide a safe, homely environment for children and adults with learning disabilities to come to stay which also gives their families a break from their caring role. Children and adults do not come into respite at the same time.

We offer a range of short breaks across our respite services and these are usually arranged on a regular or occasional basis throughout the year based on individual’s respite allocations or budget. The respite breaks Archway can provide include:

• A weekend break – Friday to Monday
• A midweek break – Monday to Friday
• An annual holiday break
• A variety of the above

Respite breaks are usually planned on a 6-monthly basis with dates being offered in 6 monthly blocks from 1st April to the end of September and 1st October to the end of March. Compatibility with other respite users is always assessed.

Photography by Debbie Dee Photography

Referrals to Respite

Referrals for respite can be made for individual’s over school age who have a learning disability. A referral form must be completed and sent to Archway’s Admin Office. You can request a referral form by emailing: admin@archway.org.uk.

Once we have received the referral form we will then place the individual on our waiting list until a suitable respite place is identified.

Self-Directed Support (SDS) referrals – for individuals who have their own SDS budget for respite a copy of their SDS assessment will be required along with a completed referral form.

Emergency Respite

At Archway all of our respite services have an allocated “emergency bed”. This bed may be occupied by another respite user, however, they will have been informed that this bed is the allocated “emergency bed” and that it may be required for emergencies. In these circumstances service users and their families must be prepared for the bed to be vacated or the respite visit cancelled if an emergency occurs. It is Archway’s policy that emergency respite is only provided to Archway service users, however, under exceptional circumstances and at the discretion of a manager it may be possible to accommodate someone who is not currently in receipt of Archway services.