How much notice do you need?

Planned respite should be booked as early as you can. We will try to help at short notice after a hospital admission or a family emergency, but we will not promise cover we cannot staff safely.

Can respite be funded by the council?

Often yes — many authorities commission respite as part of a carer's assessment or a support plan. Direct payments can also be used. See fees and funding, or ask us to help you check which route applies.

Will the same carers come back next time?

That is the aim. A respite team that already knows the person is safer and kinder than starting again. We keep notes so a second booking is not a first visit.

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Respite care

Family carers need time off, and arranging it should not be a fight. Respite can be booked as planned blocks or arranged at short notice when circumstances change.

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A carer supporting an older man using crutches in his kitchen

Who it is for

Is this you?

Short-term cover so family carers can rest, recover or take a break.

Family carers who need a break

You have not had a week off in a long time, and arranging cover has felt harder than carrying on.

Families covering a holiday or hospital stay

Something is booked, or something has happened, and the care still has to continue.

People recovering after discharge

The hospital has sent you home and the first few weeks need more support than the months after.

What is included

What you get

Planned and emergency respite
Daytime, overnight or live-in cover
Continuity with the existing care plan
Short-notice arrangements where possible

Planned breaks and short-notice cover

Family carers hold packages together for years and then cannot take a week off. Respite is visiting or live-in cover that keeps the existing routine in place so the person is not learning a new system while their usual carer is away. We prefer planned blocks — they are safer — and we will say honestly when short-notice cover is not possible.

Daytime visiting cover for a few hours or a few days
Overnight or live-in respite where the need is round-the-clock
Cover during a family holiday, a hospital stay or a funeral
The existing care plan followed, not rewritten for our convenience

Handover that does not lose the detail

Respite fails when the covering carer does not know the person. We take a handover from the family or the usual team before the first visit: medication, risks, likes, the way the kettle is filled. That is the work. Showing up with a generic checklist is not.

A handover conversation before cover starts
Medication and risk information in writing
A named person the family can call during the break
A note back at the end of the period so nothing is lost

How it works

Four steps to care starting

Step 01
Enquiry
Tell us what is happening. One conversation, no obligation.
Step 02
Assessment
We visit at home to understand the person, routine and risks.
Step 03
Care plan
A written plan you agree to, with named carers and a schedule.
Step 04
Care starts
Support begins, and the plan is reviewed as needs change.

Questions

Common questions

Related services

Pages that usually sit next to this one — so you are not hunting the menu.

Continue

Arranging care

Funding, coverage and how to start.