Shaping the future of respite care
On 9 June 2010 the MS Society’s Board of Trustees decided on the new direction for the Society’s respite care strategy, following the respite care review.
Our new approach will help us reach more people affected by MS, wherever they live in the UK, and support them to access the short breaks and respite care they want.
What is the new approach?
The Society’s new approach is to develop services that provide a more personalised system of support.It will focus on five key areas:
- Providing information – we will do more to signpost people to existing services and guide them through the process of accessing respite care.
- Accreditation – there is a role for us to play in accrediting services, formally or informally.
- Giving grants – at the moment we don’t provide equitable grants for respite or short breaks. We need to look at how we can financially support more people with MS through our grants programme.
- Campaigning for better services – the MS Society has a powerful role to play in campaigning to improve care and services for people with MS and carers, including campaigning for access to properly undertaken carers' assessments
- Influencing other providers – we will work with other organisations to make sure people with MS have access to respite care and short breaks, how they want it and wherever they live. These might be other care providers, other organisations working with people with long term neurological conditions or travel companies.
More information about these developing services and activities will be available over the coming months.
What does the new approach mean for the MS Society's respite centres?
As a result of this new approach, the MS Society will no longer directly provide residential respite care.Read more
How was this decision made?
The decision to take a new approach to respite and short breaks is the result of the year-long respite care review.Read more
Contact us
If you have any questions about the review or your respite care services, please get in touch using the details below.Phone our Helpline on 0808 800 8000
Email respitecare@mssociety.org.uk
Write to us at:
Care Services
MS Society
372 Edgware Road
NW2 6ND
London
