Mencap launches campaign to protect short breaks services

Learning disability charity Mencap has launched a campaign to highlight the strain many family carers feel due to the lack of short breaks services.

Earlier this year, a Mencap report found that 8 in 10 family carers have reached, or are close to reaching, their breaking point due to a lack of short breaks—also known as respite. Families say they reach their breaking point because they provide constant care to a loved one without a break.

More than 7 out of 10 carers provide more than 15 hours of unpaid care daily. State-funded care, which would cost the government £119 billion each year, is the alternative.

To challenge this, the charity has launched its Breaking Point appeal to raise awareness of the issue and help pressure councils to keep these services running.

Mencap reports that 4 out of 10 family carers have experienced cuts to their short breaks, and the same number feel their short break services have worsened in the past 3 years. Local councils deliver short breaks services and give carers and people with a learning disability a break to recharge. The charity’s campaign aims to: ensure that no family carer is left to reach breaking point; that every family that needs a short break receives one; and that no more short break services are cut.

Exhausted and depressed

Gail, a parent carer, explained how a lack of short breaks affected her life. “The lack of sleep was the worst thing. From age 2, my son didn’t sleep for more than 2 or 3 hours a night. I was exhausted, depressed and bad-tempered, which was impacting the way I parented my other kids, and my relationship with their dad.”

Jo Davies, campaigns lead at Mencap, added. “Family carers of people with a learning disability do a fantastic job, many caring for their loved one for more than 15 hours a day, 7 days a week. This is a huge contribution, not just to their family but to the whole of society, and their contribution is not fully recognised or rewarded. Instead, their lives are made harder with cuts to the services which should be there to give them a break and enable them to keep on caring.”

Clare Lucas, Mencap’s activism lead, said: “Now is a crucial time to keep this issue in the spotlight and to keep the pressure on local councils as they start to make decisions about what services they will cut next year. Please help us stop this by telling your council not to cut short breaks in your local area.

“Together we can make sure that every family gets the support they need, and no one is left to reach breaking point.”

LDT Editor

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