Hi, my name is Jordan. I am a special education
teacher from the UK. I share my passion for everything
communication, sensory regulation and fun lesson
ideas for my classroom of disabled pupils aged
4 to 11. Each week I am joined by experts in
the field answering your questions and sharing
our knowledge and experience working alongside
our beautiful young people. Let's get started.
Hello everybody and welcome to the Sensory Classroom
podcast. My name is Jordan and today I am joined
by Abby and Kirsty from Our Space which is a
respite activity centre and I was very keen to
have them on because I have a history of being
a foster carer and we had a 10 year old autistic
boy who was out of school for the whole of the
10 months that we had him and if it wasn't for
our local respite centre and activity centre
we wouldn't have lasted 10 months. We probably
would have lasted about three weeks with him.
And he would have lasted three weeks with us,
should I say. Neither of us would have coped.
It was very intense without the schooling. I
was having to be parent, social worker, teacher,
and all of those things. And those few hours
after school time or a few hours on a Saturday
really just gave us the respite we needed, which
looked like... Days out with my husband, tidying
the house, getting the shopping in, doing all
the boring things so that I could be present
with him and be everything he needed when he
was with us. And so I'm a huge advocate for respite.
So I'm very pleased that our space are here.
Hello, girls. Hi. So it's Abby and Kirsty. Yes,
Abby, Kirsty. Do you want to tell us a little
bit about what our space is and where you are?
Yeah, absolutely. So we have a little bit of
a respite centre. It stems from working with
schools and meeting the families, knowing that
they needed something. So it's basically weekly
activities. They can put them in for an hour
on an evening to do the Tesco shop, get their
nails done. And then we do arts and crafts on
weekends and then we offer every half term and
holidays as much as we can, including bank holidays.
We did a Christmas shopping day for parents so
they could go do the Christmas shopping. We just
literally provide as much support for the families
as possible. And we always sit in a safe and
nurturing environment. And that is as basic as
it is, but it's so important. What young people
are you catering for? Could you describe the
kind of cohort, if you will? yeah absolutely
so our children are mainly predominantly primary
ages um they're kind of from three four yeah
take them from and they all have some sort of
additional needs they do not have to have an
ehcp but they are always on a journey to that
so we've got children who are currently going
through the assessments doctor's appointments
have had kind of where they're at so our children
all have some sort of additional needs whether
it be autism within the autism the PDA and how
that looks we've got children who are completely
offset from school due to just simple anxieties
of going into school so that's kind of our cohort
it is primary ages with additional needs do not
have to have a diagnosis however they're on a
pathway to that Yeah, it just takes so long now,
doesn't it? That's really great that that's not
a barrier because that would be a huge barrier
for just so many needing families. Yeah, and
we're actually supporting them now on their journey
so we can give the evidence of what we see and
the things that when they are at our space, they
do tend to unmask. don't they were in that in
that environment so we can say this is what they're
like at our space and this is the difference
to them in school and they can all put that into
the evidence to go forward for a diagnosis and
an actual proper assessment on that so that's
been really helpful to some of the parents because
otherwise they just wouldn't have it i know some
respite only offer it with an ehcp and so we
didn't want to put that that another wall again
against them yeah Especially if they're out of
school, you know, you're a really important professional
in the family's lives that can give an insight,
can't you? If school can't or if school don't
have the big broad picture, if they're not seeing
them all the time because they're school refusing
or suspended or whatever that looks like. What
does your centre look like, Kirsty? Can you describe
it for me? It's full of pastel colours. We designed
it, didn't we? We wanted it to be bright and
colourful. And it's, yeah, we've got a sensory
room for those that want to be out of the way
if they need to be. We've got our kitchen area
where most of our messy play is. And then we've
got a more activity room, haven't we? Free flow.
Free flow. So there's lots of activities in there
that they can just free flow throughout the whole
area. Yeah, is that how you do it? It's quite
child led. It's free flow. And then you've got
some kind of organised activities if they want
to. If they want to, yeah. Yeah, which we try
and get them all involved in, don't we? But if
they don't want to, that's totally fine. Some
of them like to be independent and play on their
own, which is fine, yeah. Amazing. Also, so important
about siblings as well. Last week, we had a sibling
of somebody with a disability on, talking about
her experience of being a sibling and how important
respite came up a lot in that as well. Respite
so that they could spend time with their parents
one -on -one. which is really important for the
sibling but also a place to go together i don't
know if you offer that but a place to go together
so they can share a safe experience together
as a family as a unit that they knew was safe
and suitable for their disabled sibling but also
they could have fun too do you offer any kind
of family -based things as well Yeah, so we do
offer loads of family things. We've done parties
with families there and we stay in place if parents
come in and we've done parent catch -up, cup
of tea and catch -up sort of things as well without
the children and with the children. With the
sibling things, it's really interesting because
we've got two children who both have additional
needs but the mum puts them in separately so
she can spend that individual time with each
one because together it's really tricky. So that's
really interesting. Actually, she doesn't want
them both there for respite. She wants one -on
-one time with that child. And it's important
they have their own club, what you're saying,
that they come and it's their club, their friends
that are there. They may not even talk to these
other children, but they're there every week
with the same children. It's familiar for them.
Yeah, it's familiar. It's safe. Yeah. And that's
what, that is kind of it. But yeah, the family
things is really important. And we've said it
from the beginning, haven't we? It being... a
family environment we support them on their journeys
no matter what we often get messages from them
on an evening like they've had a really rough
night and they want to talk about it they just
want to rant someone understands and we are them
people do you know what i mean and we did a celebrations
evening as well didn't we where they invited
their families as well so the siblings could
come along and as um as easter get together as
well we did an Easter get together with like
Easter Bunny and stuff so yeah the families all
come together for that which is nice and they
start talking to each other and yeah sort of
saying to each other I don't really dare go to
play gyms and I don't dare do this and I don't
dare do that whereas they can come to ours and
it can be as chaotic as they want and they know
we all just get it like yeah you've got you know
if someone's in crisis the other parents just
understand and there's no embarrassment no shame
and it's don't get me wrong it takes a while
to develop that atmosphere and environment to
parents we constantly have to say don't worry
we understand just it's fine and other parents
do vocally speak up and say that as well but
I think that's a natural instinct in all parents,
isn't it, to panic if their child goes into crisis
or, you know, they're going to have an outcome.
Yeah, because every other environment ever in
their whole life, they're judged and made to
feel shameful and like they shouldn't be out
and about in the world. So it must be really
alien and really lovely, but alien probably at
first, to feel like they're accepted. Yeah. and
but they are they really are accepted our space
and with the other families every single one
of them is accepted and they're all so different
as well you know they're so different and i think
that's been a massive journey for us in terms
of respite is welcoming them because it's not
the same as an after -school club where they
can all book on we have to timetable these children
we've got certain children who just wouldn't
be able to be together and we've got children
that actually would really benefit each other
being together so we've got to It takes such
a long time to really timetable it. But we don't
want to ever say no. We don't want to say no
to the parents because that's the worst option
that they really need it. Yeah, I know firsthand
that feeling for sure. It was an absolute lifeline,
I have to say. It was a real lifeline. And he
loved it as well. So there was also no... worry
there of or guilt for me thinking oh it's my
time you know it was both of our time we were
both getting what we needed and that separation
was equally important you mentioned at the beginning
like a bit about why you got into it about school
and that you noticed a need for respite could
you talk a little bit about your initial thoughts
and ideas around that and why why this came to
be what you saw happening in school yeah so we
worked within a quite recently a few years ago
they made like a provision for SEN children and
there were always SEN children throughout the
school but nothing in particular for them so
then we had a handful of children that started
in there and we found ourselves drawn to that
didn't we we used to go in even on his breaks
and stuff and yeah we really enjoyed like working
with those children and then it was seeing the
parents when they were picking them up or dropping
them off in the morning if they'd had a bit of
a dysregulated morning and things and knowing
that they had to go home then to it again so
we felt like they were a huge need and we had
a lot of passion for it. So, yeah, that's where
it really stems from. Yeah, it was. It genuinely
was the meeting the families. And I'm a mum and
I know how long the evenings are from. half three
till seven o 'clock of you know like providing
them with activities to do and keeping them entertained
and if they're just a little bit off that evening
it's such a long evening but my little girl can
go to dancing she can go to gymnastics she can
go for these children it's they can't go access
a mainstream club it's too it's too overwhelming
for them they just can't cope with it so I was
like these poor parents have got nowhere to take
them on an evening or even just to feel their
child fits into a certain place so yes it's respite
of course it is but it's vital for the families
and children to feel that that sort of neurotypical
club where actually it's not neurotypical it's
completely the opposite but they feel like it
is because they're just dropping the kids off
at a club we love them we create so many different
activities for them and they can parents can
go and sit and have a coffee they can they can
do whatever they want for that hour and what
I find as well Parents making excuses. So I'm
going to go home and I'm clean. I'm going to
do this. And I think, go home and sit down. Do
nothing. Because it is so hard when you've got
the children. Do you know what I mean? From my
mum's point of view as well, do nothing. Because
we love having your kids. And you don't have
to make any excuses for them being with us. So,
yeah, it all stemmed from meeting the families
and them just not having that extra support on
an evening and weekend as soon as the kids are
out of school. And that was his first day and
wanted it just to do the odd evening, wanted
it an hour each. How many children have you got
access in your setting? So it's a family of families,
yeah. Amazing. About three children do that.
Yeah. But it soon, very quickly, it grew. I think
it was the opening evening, because we always
say it's really important that the families come
to meet. us and we meet the families before they
book anything just to make sure that they're
happy with us they're so protective over the
children as every single parent is so they've
got to be happy with who they're sending their
children to so we did like an opening evening
for them to come and meet us and the amount of
people walking through the door i said to Kirsty
i cannot believe there is not things around here
for these parents i felt really emotional that
they really needed this yeah we knew they needed
it but i don't think we knew how much they needed
it how much yeah interesting yeah because they're
very unseen aren't they if they don't feel safe
and like the outside world is safe for their
children then they're indoor families so we don't
see them out and about you won't know how many
there are or the need until you create a provision
like this and you see there is such a huge need
out there all different sorts of families that
are seeking this I have had some parents though
in the past I don't know what you would say to
this that I have suggested respite and they've
been really nervous about it of all ages. Some
of them because, oh no, they're too young or,
oh no, like I'm fine. Like I'd rather me struggle
than like, I wouldn't want to put that burden
on anyone else. You know, that's another thought
that I'm getting. And also just the fear of trusting
someone else with their... precious child who
is very complex either poorly or you know behavioral
or sensory wise or whatever they're quite complex
and and need them you know they're the only ones
that can meet their needs even family members
can't meet their needs even family members haven't
looked after them without them they might have
never had a night apart and they might be seven
eight nine ten i'm hearing that what would you
say to reassure those parents or what do you
offer in order to support them to transition
and and enter a setting like yours it's really
important we take it at their speed because we
have 100 had this where we we're actually saying
to the parents this child could benefit so much
from being in a small group and they say they
just walk up they walk up and i'm like just trust
us i asked i feel like i say that all the time
please just trust us because i promise you they
will and i promise you we will do everything
in our power to to be and create strategies for
them to be able to cope. We're not just two random
girls who have gone, ah, I love these kids, let's
get a hug. We've done the training. We're so
clued up on little things. Every single child's
different. And we would work towards that specific
child. So it's just reassuring them as much as
we can. But I don't think you can fully reassure
them until they start doing it. I think until
they're ready, you can't. talk them into it until
they just try out one of the sessions. We had
one mum, didn't we? Yeah. Are you thinking of
the CIO? Her, yeah. She messaged us, didn't she?
She wanted to, like, see what we were about.
She came, I think, to a meet and greet as well,
didn't she? But I think she was still nervous.
And then recently we've started going into that
child's school, working with a different child.
And it just so happened one day that we managed
to do a session with her, didn't we? And then,
yeah, now she comes to our holiday clubs and,
you know, we've built that. that trust yeah so
it's nice but she used to say things like nobody
understands her like I do and which is true nobody
understands their child like their own you can
tell by the way they breathe sometimes that they're
just not quite right but I always say but we
will we'll learn and we have like an about we
have a like a profile passport sort of thing
we make it as fun and quirky as we can because
we think they're filling so many boring papers
every single day we've tried to make ours really
fun and but I always say put what you want on
there But it's so important that we learn about
them ourselves, you know, from the beginning.
Yes, if they don't like water, tell us they don't
like water. We're not going to start throwing
water around. But sometimes they'll say they
hate messy play, but when they're with us, they
actually enjoy it. So I say, just let us learn
about them a little bit as well. And if they
were to get dysregulated, we can totally solve
that. Do you know, like, please trust us. So
it is just until they take the first step into
it and realise how important it is and how much
they've not been themselves for... four or five
years they've just been little jimmy's mom now
actually they are themselves again they can be
not just month they could be something else as
well and seeing them do hobbies um and seeing
them actually spend time with their partners
going out i've seen that they'd gone out for
brunch one couple had gone out for brunch that
day and it really like hurts your heart doesn't
it because you're like they've actually gone
out for brunch and they're having drinks and
they're enjoying themselves and while we've got
their little precious human that you say and
they're having the best time and we do take a
lot of photos and videos and send them and that's
really important to us that they get that constant
update if they want it and so i think until you
put your toe in our space water then you'll you'll
run within and you just learn to trust as you
go along yeah what does your in school support
look like because did you say you do in support
in school as well yeah um yeah so we go and do
like we can do one -to -one intensive interactions
or we do group sessions just on their abilities
as well we have varied groups don't we um and
then we do free flow activities with them sensory
play also to have the respite for the for the
staff as well because so many times we're going
to schools don't we and they're just looking
after a full class but with these other children.
It's nice that they get our full attention as
well. the people go in that understand them and
know what they need but that's i think that's
something i feel really passionate about them
and it is mainstream skills in schools inundated
with children with additional needs who necessarily
need a different provision but just can't access
it at the moment while the you know the battle
of fighting it and the staff they're absolutely
exhausted they're exhausted because they're trying
their best to give everything they can to the
class in general then the additional needs that
they've got in that classroom and actually they're
exhausted and they need The thing is for me,
if that teacher hasn't got that respite, how
can they be the best of their abilities to the
children that really need it and the children
deserve it? So we go in and give them that sort
of a full afternoon. They can focus on what they
need to focus on and then they can have that
little bit of a wellbeing check to then next
day be back in and give the children what they
need and deserve because they don't just deserve
to be in a... corner playing they deserve to
have the the structure the timetables the staffing
and i feel so passionate about that and so the
fact that schools are reaching out for respite
for their team i thought was just unbelievable
really the first primary schools went to they
felt guilty that they were working with a child
that they didn't know what to do they're like
we really love this child but we've not really
shown what to do or how to handle it and it was
really sad to see one yeah because we knew that
us going in just made them a little bit more
excited so we could offer that to them which
were really nice for us to see Yeah, and they
could almost see what you do as well. It offers
them respect. It also offers them a bit of hands
-on training, really, doesn't it? They could
watch you, what you do, how you interact with
them and get some ideas. So you're leaving, it's
not just a one -off plaster. You're actually
making real change, long -lasting change. CPD
is really important, isn't it, in that environment
as well. And I always just say, just sit back
and just watch and look how we talk, look at
the activities we do. And then we'll often send
them a massive rundown afterwards, yeah. i think
they just think we're absolutely crazy at the
times but um but when you actually do it and
i say please just be consistent with it and be
crazy be weird because that's what they need
they need someone that's kind of so excited about
the activities that they're doing you just do
it without realizing now don't you i remember
like the first time we started intensive interactions
we were like oh god i feel so silly but now you
just you naturally all day don't you yeah yeah
you kind of intensive interactions we used to
do it as a set which I still would. I'd structure
it in a class. It's intense for the children
and it's tiring for the children. But I think
you're naturally dipping in and out of it all
day anyway. And that's what I said to the staff
and the team that they're working with. The word
respite in schools, I don't think is used enough.
I think they need it. All the staff need that
respite, especially if they're working with children
with so many complex different needs that they
need to cater for. And for us to just jump in
and give them that afternoon, I think they really
look forward to it as well. Oh, we can do this
and this and this. And because that child really
struggles in that area, we can actually input
that on that day while Abby and Kirsty are in.
And as we walk down the corridor, sometimes they're
like. Thank goodness you are here this afternoon.
It's been great. Something I've never heard of,
but it makes so much sense. I really do think
it would help combat the absences and sickness
because of pure exhaustion and burnout as well.
I'm sure you're keeping the team up and going.
And actually, sometimes it's quite nice just
to have an afternoon off to miss. Remember you
missed them and remember why you're doing it.
And remember, actually, I do quite like it, actually.
Whereas when you're in it sometimes, it's easy
to forget that and kind of get lost in the chaos
of it all and you kind of lose your purpose.
But seeing you guys coming refreshed, give them
a spark. Nice research. Yeah. And also just to
show them, like, there are people out there as
well who are so excited about these children
and that we want to input all this. And I think
you're bound. off each other a bit more as well
as a team so this support staff was walking around
after me at the day and she went oh i just want
to walk around with you all day and watch what
you do you know she said i just want to watch
you with this child and um because i think one
of those things is she's going to be a support
staff and ended up one -to -one with a child
and she's learning and she's on a journey herself
to find out about this child so she was like
i just want to watch you all day i'm coming around
with you all day so it's just nice that actually
we are benefiting the staff when we go in And
it's quite an isolating job being a one -to -one.
I feel like that's where a specialist provision
is easier in a way because at least you've got
a team around you that you can bounce off and
swap with. But actually these one -to -one teaching
assistants in mainstream schools, it's often
just them and their child and often they're with
them for a really long time and it's just them
for years and years and years. and it can be
really isolating and really lonely in the corridors
of these schools which they often end up in so
just knowing there's a team out there that are
rooting for them supporting them see them tell
them what a great job they're doing give them
that respite must feel so good and that that's
an absolute credit to the SENCOs as well because
they're the ones reaching out to us saying I
haven't got all of this money to give them the
extra support and help and resources but I have
got this to give them so that because I feel
like they're really struggling to keep them going.
And if they go, look, I'm going to get our space
in, they're going to come in twice a week. So
that's credit to the Senkos of recognising that
their team need respite, which again, exactly
what you just said. I don't think the word respite
is used in schools because how dare the staff
have respite? You know, how dare they have a
break from any child because they should love
it. And they do. They're so passionate about
them. But like you said, they need that little
bit of time to remember. i really wish that out
of that child was back in here you know if you
have a day off when we're missing don't think
we don't come to respite so it is so important
i just don't think it's a it's a thing yet i
think slowly within mainstream especially with
the children with additional needs it's going
to become more needed and we're totally here
for it like totally for it Yeah, you're not,
you wouldn't feel burnout or exhaustion if you
didn't love the children and were doing your
best for them. It would be a really easy job
to just put YouTube, I say this often actually,
it would be a really easy job to just put Cocomelon
on YouTube and give them a load of features and
let them do their own thing and let them have
their own way and let them, you know, all of
that kind of thing. And that would be really
easy, but it wouldn't be the loving thing to
do. You know, it's because you love... No, exactly.
It's because you care for them, love them, want
the best for them, that you're getting burnt
out because you're trying to do so much, which
is awesome. But yeah, then you do need to rest.
Who's paying for this service? Is it the schools
and the parents? Yeah, so that's another wall
we've come. to at times because obviously the
funding the grants it's all such a battle to
get which we absolutely are on that battle we
will we will get there but the parents and families
pay for the respite with us because it's a private
company at the moment i do have a cic company
that runs along so that's why we're going through
all the bids and grants and things through that
but again it's just it's just a journey and then
the schools themselves pay for us to go into
the schools so some schools have very little
budgeting for the children for EHCPs and things
whereas some schools have more which is so much
more beneficial to them but yeah that it's something
sometimes it just doesn't feel quite right does
it no with the families and that's something
I think it does upset us at times is them paying
for it I really do struggle with that because
it's a passion and a love but it's our livelihood
so you kind of go this is our this is our respite
center and then it just sometimes doesn't sit
right with families paying any any child pays
for clubs yeah right yeah um and there is that
understanding i mean i never minded as a foster
carer i was on the understanding he needed a
one -to -one support That comes at a cost. It
was a reduced cost. Maybe that's where you look
at. But ultimately, I was just happy that it
existed and I wanted to support it. So it continued.
But yeah, is that the dream? What is the dream
for our space? If you had, you know, ability
and no barriers as far as, yeah, what would funding
look like? What would your resource base and
setting look like? What would you offer? What's
the dream? So we went to like a horror house
the other day. When I say horror house, so basically
the school we're working at, they have a caretaker's
house and it's been there for years and it's
derelict. And he is desperate to get it up and
running for the community and he came to us.
He said, just go and have a look round, go and
have a look round. It was the scariest event
I've ever been part of. It was derelict. The
dream is to, it was a massive four bed house,
wasn't it? And to turn that into a respite centre.
But we really want a... present preschool yeah
and to because the children are within nurseries
and things and preschools that have got sending.
Obviously, they've not got the EHCPs just yet.
They're not on that journey yet. But to recognise
that and have them at our space classroom would
be an absolute dream. And also, we're going down
to London in the next couple of weeks to St.
Almond Street to work with some of the children
within there who have got some serious illnesses
and they're not in school and they're in things
to go and work with some of them children. So
not just necessarily respite for children with
additional needs. but actually needs that out
of their hands and things. I went to Yorkshire
Cancer Research yesterday. I do a lot of charity
things for there. And I mentioned to the lady
there, these families need some respite for their
children when they're going through chemo and
things like that. So it's not just additional
needs and send needs. It is needs in general.
yeah that child has these needs and they need
us so the dream is to cover as much as we physically
can but i think that is that the pipe dream is
a big and massive respite center oh yeah that
we've got preschool and the daytime evenings
a lovely little small team because we've got
two other ladies that work with us who are absolutely
amazing we don't want anything too big because
you just want to know they're all providing the
same care as you but yeah that's that is the
dream And I honestly think it's, I do think it's
massively doable. It's very realistic. It's fun.
Yeah, absolutely. And there are people out there
doing it, but not in every area. And that's what
we need as well, isn't it? We need this widespread
so that this, these offers are accessible for.
everyone yeah it's a different business isn't
it you're not I own I own a dance school so my
background is I was I was trained as a dancer
which is such a random journey to come on to
but it's competitive whereas this isn't you want
people popping up and you want to support each
other and you want to say like oh you're doing
that and I'm doing that and we'll we'll work
together we had some ladies from were they from
sorry have I just made that up no I think the
way yeah and social media social media just messaged
and said can we have get on a zoom like just
to help each other the ideas and no it's not
a competitive industry it is you're doing it
because you love it we all want more like yeah
we'll all be better off if there's just more
of this stuff absolutely that's why I share so
openly as well actually yeah it is there's no
competition like please let's do more of this
yeah You all need each other's help constantly.
You learn from each other. It's a job that you
learn every single day. Respite, the word respite
is just huge. I can't say the word respite enough
to people. You need respite. I say it to everyone
all the time. There's a lot of guilt there. You
said that yesterday. One of the challenges for
parents is that pure guilt of dropping them off
and not someone else looking after their children.
Actually, exactly what you just said as well.
My little girl would go to a club for a day.
wanted to i wanted to have experience and and
she's been up all night i need some rest you
know so i always say that to everyone i compare
myself to me and my little girlies you know i
need this so you need this so let's let's work
together and do it yeah this isn't a failure
in you not coping this is just parenting child
child wants an activity center to be with friends
to have fun and the benefit Almost like the caveat
of that is, oh, you also get some time. Yeah,
and it has that bonus in it. So we had a child
that went into quite a bad crisis at one of our
last camps and her mum afterwards was like, right,
if you don't want to come back, it's totally,
we were like, absolutely, that is not an option.
You're going to bring her, you're going to take
her home because she needs to regulate herself
and you're going to bring her back this afternoon.
We're going to have restorative with the children,
with your child, with us. because that for her
mental health would not be good at all to walk
away from that and never come back to it that's
not what we're about at all is it so we do this
job for those reasons and you still need that
respite so you're bringing it back this afternoon
we'll do the restorative we'll do all of that
and but the fact that she thought that was an
option like yeah because that's what that would
have been her experiences up until now yeah yeah
but you have one blip one crisis moment and that's
the door shy so i've seen it I've seen it firsthand
that it's like a fear, a fear of safety, red
tape, insurance. And actually sometimes you just
need restorative care. Sometimes you just need
time, a little bit of a break, and then you can
go back in it again. And it's really lovely that
you're proving that works. Oh yeah, she's still
with us. She's still, she's the funniest. She
loves it. It's just, she struggles, don't you?
She struggles. It's not personal. We've had to
adapt. We've had to change. Yeah. you know it's
not for her to adapt and change she'll she's
on a journey to learn and and find different
strategies and things but that's our job you
know to kind of go oh that's she don't work with
that's me to do that it's not our job to close
the door on her family and say this is for you
to deal with now it's absolutely a whole family
and our space thing it's a circle i do i think
i use that word all the time we're a circle we're
respite we support the families we now want to
go in and support that student in the school
so it's a full circle that we're wanting to do
not just a section of it and then everyone else
deals with everything else let's let's all do
the full circle let's try holistic yeah yeah
i love that i really love that but for people
listening to this i've got lots of parents and
teachers that might be in your local area so
where can they find out more about maybe they
want to set up their own thing and they need
support from you or maybe they're local to you
and they want to access your your settings and
what where can they find you So we're based in
Bradford in the Whibsey area at Oddsall. We're
obviously on social media. We've got us on TikTok.
That's where most of our families have been contacting
us. A lot of people contacting us to learn what
we do because they want to do it. So we said
we were going to do maybe a Zoom call, won't
we? Just have a chat how we got it started. We're
going to organise some more family catch -ups
and things like that. We've been in contact with
someone in Bradford. Centre Lime. Centre Lime,
yeah. So they do something similar, but they
take the families out with the children. So we
were going to get involved with them and speak
to more parents and things like that. Great.
Quite a few people knew us, didn't they, from
there? Yeah, yeah. So we're not aiming for Bradford
and Whibsey area. If you are in West Yorkshire
and you want to drive and travel, we want as
many families that we can support is the aim.
We have even said we would go. and travel to
then to give them that respite if they were you
know far away they really needed it so that's
definitely social media is where you would find
us i think that's where you find everyone these
days and what contacts us what's your instagram
handle just our space respite isn't it yeah our
space respite everywhere amazing thank you so
much both for joining and yeah enlightening and
reminding everybody the importance of respite
for us for them in school out of school all so
important and i really hope that whether they're
either if they're close to you they reach out
to you for sure and if you're not close to the
west yorkshire area then maybe there might be
an offer locally to you so maybe ask other parents
that you know or the school that you know they
might know or have a little google search and
see if there's a respite center near that you
that you could access let's get our respite out
there definitely definitely thank you so much
bye well thank you thank you bye Thank you.