Taking a Break

If you would like a break you will need to find alternative care for the person you are looking after while you are away.

Much will depend on how often the break is and what level of care is required. For some people informal arrangements with friends and family members to step in to take over caring will be enough. However if informal arrangements can’t be made there are a range of options including:

• using a care agency
• employing a care worker directly
• getting help through your local council.

Holidays

Find a travel agent and/or charity that can help you arrange a suitable holiday, we could help with this. Some specialise in ensuring your holiday is fully accessible such as for a wheelchair user.

Help with costs

You may be able to get help with the cost of going on holiday, either alone or with the person you are looking after, from a charity or benevolent fund. A social worker or local carers support group should be able to provide you with more information on local charities, organisations, benevolent funds and other possible sources of funding.

If you have had a carers assessment for yourself and an assessment for the person you are looking after then you may also be able to get financial help from your local council towards paying for a break.

Using a care agency

There are many private care agencies that can provide you with replacement care workers. Before you start approaching agencies, you should establish the kind of care you are looking for and when you need it. Check that they deal with private clients like yourself and that they are able to provide the kind of care that you need. Although using an agency is usually more expensive than recruiting a paid care worker yourself, it can make managing care easier because the agency will:

• Take care of the paperwork (eg Criminal Records Bureau checks).
• Deal with an employee’s National Insurance and tax.
• Check references.
• Provide a back-up if an employee is ill or unsatisfactory.

The Care Quality Commission has an online directory of registered independent home care services to help you decide which service to use. 

Employing a care worker

If your break is a regular occurrence then you may decide to employ a paid care worker directly. It is important that you realise that you will be taking on the responsibilities of an employer. Some of the things you will need to do as an employer are:

• Check out your employees references.
• Pay statutory sick pay if an employee is ill as well as maternity, paternity and adoption pay.
• Ensure that your employee’s tax and National Insurance are paid correctly.
• Check that your employee has the right to work in the UK.
• Take out insurance to cover any accidents an employee might have in your home.
• You should also be familiar with law on disciplinary and grievance procedures, redundancy procedures and health & safety requirements.

All of this may sound very complicated, but there is help available to guide you through and it is a good idea to get advice before you start. There are charities and organisations that can help you make informed decisions about employing a paid care worker and help with things like recruitment and payroll. Contact your local carers’ organisation to find out what help is available in your area.

Your local council

Social services can arrange alternative care for the person you are looking after so that you can take a break from caring. This is usually called “respite care”.

You can find more information on the types of break, and the possible assessments required, here.