Respite Parent Survey

Parent Survey

Dear parent/carer

As a school we are constantly looking to improve and enhance the services that we can offer to our students and families. At a workshop last year, we started discussions as to what provision and support you as parents would like to see in place for your children and we have been working on ways to put these ideas into action ever since.

Our big dream is to ultimately run a working farm which will provide all of our students with the opportunity to develop their skillsets and find that special interest that they can then use in their adult lives to engage in meaningful employment. However, we know these are huge aspirations, which will take a lot of time to put into action. Therefore, we have tried to pinpoint the most immediate needs and put a proposal together accordingly. The ‘needs’ that we have identified being for respite overnight provision and for a smallholding that can start to develop these skillsets for our students to access alongside their education.

To help to support these plans in their development, and to ensure they are tailored to the needs of our students and families, we would very much appreciate if you could take the time to answer this short survey from a parents’ perspective.

This first section focusses on your opinions in regards to the amount of respite support you currently receive and what you would like to have in place for your child(ren) and family:

What (if any) support do you have for your child(ren) outside of school? (tick all that apply)

Shortbreaks and Outreach Service (Sunshine Centre/Hannah’s Place)
Direct Payments
Overnight respite
Family support
None
Other:

Do you find this support adequate to meet the needs of your child(ren) and your family?

Yes
No

If you answered no to the above question, what additional support do you feel is needed for your child(ren) and your family?

Shortbreaks and Outreach Service (Sunshine Centre/Hannah’s Place)
Direct Payments
Overnight respite
Family support
Other:

Have you ever considered overnight respite as an option for your family? If yes, what do you know of available provisions and what would you like to see for your child(ren) if they were to attend an overnight setting?

Any other comments:

This section focusses on the type of provision you think would best meet your child(ren)’s needs:

Has your child(ren) had the opportunity to develop any special interests or skills that they could develop as they move in to adulthood and the workplace? If yes, what are these interests/skills and what provision has enabled these to develop?

What (if anything) do you think is lacking from current services and provisions in the local area in regards to developing your child(ren)’s vocational skills?

Would you be interested in a provision that offered the opportunity to develop these interests/skills? (specifically in animal care, horticulture and other ‘hands-on’ skills)

What would you like to see from such a provision, in an ideal world, so that your child(ren) is supported to achieve their full potential?

Any other comments: