Funding for respite

Contact your nearest Citizens Advice Bureau as they may know of local funds to help in emergencies and hardship or for people with disabilities

Ask your social worker or CPN if local authority funding is available.

• Through your local authority
  If your care plan identifies a need for respite care and the local authority are willing to provide this, they should cover the cost of the care. However, there can be some restrictions to this. Some local authorities have arrangements with respite centres and will want you to go there. If you do not wish to go to the place they are offering you could ask if they would be willing to fund a place elsewhere and reasons why you want to go there.
• Direct payments
  Direct payments are a way of allowing a person with a disability to choose the person or place they want to receive care from. In this way, the person with mental illness will be given a sum of money by the local authorities to spend in the way they see fit, which could include a respite centre of your choice. Direct payments will only be given to people able to manage the money on their own and therefore the scheme is not always open to people with mental health problems in need of respite. If the local authorities have agreed to fund respite but you are having difficulties are bound to the place they have chosen, contact the Rethink National Advice Service for help.
• Private trusts and funds
  If your local authority will not agree to provide you with respite care a number of trusts and funds put aside money each year for this reason. Many of them receive a large number of applications and consequently their funds may be exhausted early in the year. It will usually be necessary to apply to a number of trusts or funds, particularly as some of them will be unable to meet the full cost of the holiday.
  

Rotary Clubs, Round Tables and Lion’s Associations, which are all known for their local generosity.

Here are some contact details for organisations which might be able to help:

Family Welfare Association
The Queen Adelaide Fund at the Family Welfare Association - for residents of Greater London who have suffered mental ill health are within 5 years of leaving hospital and are in financial hardship. Grants are normally about £100 with an upper limit of £200. Due to pressure on funds grants for holidays are only made in cases of extreme need. Referral from professional worker.
Tel: 0207 254 6251
Email: fwa.headoffice@fwa.org.uk
Web: www.fwa.org.uk
Address: Grants Manager, 501-505 Kingsland Road, Dalston, London, E8 4AU


Rotary International
A strong reputation of financial generosity to those in hardship and in need of a recuperative holiday. National Office can give details of contact for local Rotarians.
Tel: 01789 765411
Web: www.rotary.org
Address: National Office: Rotarians International in Britian and Ireland, Kinwarten Road, Alcester, Warwickshire, B49 6BP


Family Holiday Association
Families needing a week's holiday break are referred by Social Workers Health Visitors or other caring agencies. There is a large demand for grants so please submit applications in late October and no later than end November.
Tel: 020 7436 3304
Web: www.fhaonline.org.uk
Address: The Family Holiday Association, 16 Mortimer Street, London, W1N 7RD


The Margaret Champney Rest and Holiday Fund
Adults in need of a recuperative holiday (especially those tired out by nursing). One-off grants of about £100 each are made after a successful application through a Social Worker/CPN or other welfare agency.
Tel: 01394 388746
Address: The General Manager, The Gatehouse, 9 Birkitt Road, Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP12 4JJ

The application must be made before the holiday.

It is unwise to confirm a holiday booking unless you know whether financial help is available. If the application has to be by referral (the entries for each trust will indicate this) approach your social worker or GP and ask them either to support your application or to apply on your behalf.

After a grant has been offered a trust may require proof of a holiday booking before actually making any payment.

Some trusts have their own application forms. If possible, contact the trust and ask if you should apply on a specific form.

If there is no set form then the application should be set out clearly, you should include your details, details of why you need and want financial assistance, any special circumstances, i.e. if you suffer from a mental illness, the approximate cost of the holiday, which will be going, and the amount that you can pay.