AQW 19925/22-27


Ms Connie Egan
Alliance Party
North Down


Tabled Date: 13/12/2024
Answered On Date: 03/01/2025
Priority Written: No


Question:
To ask the Minister of Health to detail the criteria his Department has in place for someone to become approved to give emergency respite to those caring for someone with additional needs.


Answer:
Health and Social Care Trusts (HSCTs) are responsible for the planning and delivery of emergency respite/ Short Break services, aligned to assessed needs.
Emergency respite care is a temporary care solution provided in critical or unforeseen situations when primary caregivers unexpectedly need time off, such as illness or emergencies, or there maybe a safeguarding concern which might mean care needs provided outside of the family home or by someone else.
The type of emergency care required is identified through an assessment of need. During office hours this assessment is completed by a named worker or through the duty system. Emergency care can be accessed out of hours through the regional emergency social work service.
In the first instance, an increase in the person’s support system including family/ carers and existing service provisions would be explored. This would include any additional support available through existing respite services that the person may already have access to.
In Children Services, in an emergency if no family are able to provide increased support or if it is deemed unsuitable for the child to remain in the current situation, the Trust would source Emergency Foster Carers. Foster Carers are registered to provide care on a short-term emergency basis. A robust regional registration and approval system is in place for Foster Carers in Northern Ireland.
To become a Foster Carer, individuals must undertake ongoing learning and development and also engage with social workers and other parties involved in the child or young person’s life, included educational and health professionals. Rigorous assessments and checks are completed. Together, the five Trusts’ fostering services are supported by HSC NI Adoption and Foster Care.
Within Adult Services if family/ carers are unable to provide additional support, an increase to any domiciliary care package already in place would be considered. Additional respite/ Short Breaks would also be considered including any service already in place through the Shared Lives Scheme.
Shared Lives NI host carers are people who open their homes to support eligible adults with support needs. These carers are registered through a robust process within each Health and Social Care Trust, who are responsible for the delivery of local schemes.
If there are not appropriate existing services that can be increased, emergency respite/short break services are primarily provided in statutory and independent sector care homes. The Trusts have contractual arrangements in place to enable emergency package of care to be implemented or emergency admissions to care facilities. Contracts are awarded through regional procurement and tendering processes.