Survey Findings: Short Breaks 2023
In September 2023 SGPC’s Parent Voice team created a survey asking parent carers about their experiences with short breaks services in South Glos. We’re really grateful to all the families who took part.
In addition to the feedback from the survey, SGPC have also been gathering feedback from our support sessions and events which highlight the difficulties our families have faced when trying to access Short Breaks provisions. The Parent Voice team have been sharing these views with the Short Breaks Review Project to show what our families have told us works for them, what would help their family, what their family needs and what hasn’t worked and why.
About the Survey
The survey was split into three sections to help us understand families’ needs:
The impact of suitable childcare.
Access to activities, groups, clubs, days out or sessions organised specifically for children with an additional need (referred to as SEND sessions in this report).
Access to activities, groups, clubs, days out or sessions available within the community to any child irrespective of whether they have an additional need (referred to as community sessions).
Main outcomes if unable to access these services:
Stress, anxiety, and mental health issues for parent carers.
Negative impact on child's wellbeing/mental health.
Exhaustion and physical health issues for parent carers.
Main benefits for children and young people of childcare, SEND sessions, and community sessions:
Participation in activities/experiences
New experiences
Socializing with other children and young people
Main reasons for not accessing childcare:
Provider couldn't meet child's needs
Couldn't find information on suitable childcare
Clubs were oversubscribed
Those completing the survey reported that only 36% could find childcare at suitable times, with 43% only partly meeting their family’s needs and 21% unable to find childcare at suitable times for their needs.