Adult Services Department

An evaluation of The Take a Break Service in the Havant area

Throughout the 9 year life of this service which is targeted specifically at carers to support them, reviews have been undertaken by asking those who use the service for their views on the service and how it assists them. This information is then used to inform the future development of the service locally and, on this occasion, to act as an aid towards the development of the service elsewhere in the county.

This review was undertaken by written questionnaire which was posted to the users of the service.There was a response rate of over 42% and the overwhelming response was very positive towards the service and what it achieves in each individual situation. Inevitably no two responses will be the same as each piece of service is tailored to an individual’s needs, with this in mind people were encouraged to complete the parts of the questionnaire where they felt they had something to say. As a consequence although a total of 34 carers and 8 service users replied, no one set of responses matched this total.

What did you want when you first contacted Adult Services ? - 23 people responded that they needed ‘time off’ or a break. Comments such as confidence and peace of mind were linked to many of the statements.

‘a break from everyday chores’

‘someone to look after my husband & mother while I did essential business’

‘for my carer to have respite from caring for me’

How did you find out about the service? – 26 people were told about the service by Adult Services plus there was a range of other agencies involved such as Benefits Officer (DW&P), CPN, District Nurse, memory clinic, a friend, a carer’s course.

What made you decide to use the service ? – 24 people said time out, 14 said they needed to due to stress, no other relief, or exhaustion. 6 service users said they recognised the time for a break for both of them. 6 people said confidence, peace of mind or because it uses ‘vetted personnel’.

‘because I need a change’

‘to give me a break and Mum a change of face’

‘to attend mass on Saturday evenings’

‘I feel less stressed knowing **** has company’

How does the service help you now ? – 18 said a break and time to go shopping, 8 said time to do what I want.. 2 people, both service users, said it did not help them and 1 had stopped the service.

‘my husband really benefits from different people having time to sit and talk’

‘I am able to attend my Town Women’s Guild’

‘the chance to keep up with the bowls club I run at church’

Has this service made a difference to the way you lead your life ?–28 people replied positively, 9 specifically referred to a break with peace of mind. 9 referred to maintaining previous relationships or activities. 4 service users referred to the benefits them.

‘without 6 hours off I would have given up’

‘maintains mum's independence and not having to rely on her children - she is aware of the role reversal’

‘time to visit mother in a nursing home and see to business affairs’

‘yes I keep contact with old workmates’

Is there anything you would like to see improved with the service ? - 14 said ‘nothing’ they are very satisfied. 2 said not to lose hours if not used within the month. 6 asked for more ! 1 referred to holiday cover not being so good, her husband was left to sleep. 1 asked for sitters to be trained to undertake PEG feeding. 1 asked for more flexibility from the agency to change the hours.

‘the service is excellent and we hope for more’

Any other comments ?- 1 person asked for the hours to be cumulative and not have to be used within the month and a second referred to recently not knowing which sitters were coming. Otherwise all comments were positive.

‘just to say thank you for the service.’

‘we have found, as a new 'user' from the moment we telephoned a pleasant, friendly voice answers and everything has run smoothly’

‘the ladies are very friendly and helpful’

‘staff replace me when I'm out ie washing up, ironing etc’

‘I am extremely grateful’

Conclusions

The service is highly valued by those who use it in terms of its positive impact on their lives, in some cases to the extent that people say they could not continue caring without it. It provides for both the carer and the service user and the overwhelming response is that it provides ‘time to be me’.

What carers do with the free time they have is entirely their business. However while many are able to maintain pre-caring activities and friendships, it is noticeable how many use the time for shopping which possibly could not otherwise be done. While the large supermarkets all deliver, for a small fee, and everyone needs food and other essentials of life, would it be more beneficial to carers to have more freedom to do what they choose, and shopping may be one activity, rather than have to use the time to meet the basic essentials of life ?

There are some comments that could be areas for improvement listed above which will be addressed in the next few months. One area that stands out is that the majority of people found out about the service from Adult Services. In many respects that is fine, but it is presuming people know about Adult Services in the first place. It is important to ensure that all other agencies and personnel within them know about this service and others that Adult Services can offer to those who meet the eligibility criteria.

In conclusion it is encouraging to note that some of the respondents to this survey have used the service almost since it started and that it still delivers for them what is right for them.

‘someone to stay with me while my parents went out on Saturdays to football’

‘a very good service, the days without help seem very long to us both - we both look forward to seeing the sitters’

Geoff Woollan

Commissioning Officer - October 2009