What are short breaks?
Short breaks, also known as respite, give people with a learning disability an opportunity to get away for a short period and have additional support to get out and about, build friendships and learn new independent living skills.
Thera’s short break support teams focus on getting to know the person so they can provide highly personalised support tailored to the individual’s interests, goals and needs.
At Thera, we have many years of experience in providing short breaks to people with a learning disability through three short break support locations:
- Highgrove in Bury (Greater Manchester)
- Willowdene in Tunstead (Norfolk)
- Oaklands in Alpington (Norfolk)
The length of short breaks can vary from a few hours a day, a few times a week or over a longer period, depending on what the person needs.
Whilst short breaks are a brilliant opportunity for people to develop new friendships and try new activities in the local area, quite often people want to begin developing their independent living skills, which can prepare them for moving into their own home later on.
Michael and Freddy*’s story
Ansar Projects, part of the Thera Group of companies, provides short break support through Highgrove in Bury, Greater Manchester.
*Names have been changed
Michael started to use short breaks and community support in 2018 but due to family circumstances, he had to extend his stay at Highgrove for a period in 2019. This was meant to be short term but due to Covid, he remained there for longer than expected because of rules at the time.
Before Covid, Michael was looking for a new home to live in and someone to share it with. Michael and those supporting him looked at a few different options but hadn’t found anything that suited.
In early 2020 Freddy, who lived with his family at home, also started to come for a short break at Highgrove a few times a month. During these visits it became obvious how comfortable these two were with each other and after the restrictions of Covid were lifted, they began going on outings together when Freddy visited Highgrove.
They would actively seek each other out to spend time together or meet up with other people supported by Ansar Projects at a variety of events, increasing their social circle and interactions.
Freddy is non-verbal; however, this was not an issue for their developing friendship. They were able to interact and enjoy each other’s company, having many shared interests. This included going out for food, visiting museums and attending parties.
By the time lockdown restrictions ended and life had begun to return to some level of normality, Freddy was ready to leave his family home. Freddy and Michael were offered the option to share a house together – which was of course a yes and supported by both families. It was clear to see that these two young men had become best mates, so why not house mates?
In 2022 the search for a property began, but due to the repercussions of the pandemic it took a long time to find and develop a suitable house for them.
Finally, in December 2023, the two young men moved into their house together which very quickly became a home for them both. They have since welcomed their families and friends to come and visit them.
The staff team ensure that they have a balance of spending time together and individually, so they can continue to develop their own skills and interests. Where they do activities in the community together, other friends sometimes join in too – for ‘lad’s tea out’, walks and watching a film at the cinema. Both Michael and Freddy have developed their independent living skills too, including washing their own clothes and making their own food and drinks.
As this story demonstrates, short breaks are vitally important for people to develop friendships and flourish in a safe environment. Without the opportunity to spend time together and build their friendship through short breaks, no-one would have thought about the possibility of them living together.
However, having an independent opportunity away from their family homes, they were able to make that decision for themselves and we are delighted to hear that they are enjoying living together in their new home.
How do short breaks benefit people with a learning disability and their family carers?
As well as equipping people with the skills they need to move into their own home, short breaks also give the person’s family members and primary carers the opportunity to do other things and have some downtime where they can focus on themselves. This maintains a positive home environment where everyone is able to have the space and rest that they need.
If you are interested in Thera’s short breaks support, please contact us