Is Your Child's Care Package Working?
It isn't always easy to tell.
You might be receiving care through an agency, employing your own carers, receiving support arranged by the NHS or social care, or using a mixture of different arrangements.
Some parts might work really well. Others might leave you wondering whether things could be better.
This free assessment from Caring Families will help you take a step back and look at how your child's care package is working for them and for your family.
In a few minutes, you'll look at:
- your child's plan and needs
- funding and budget
- staffing and reliability
- care and skills
- flexibility and fit
- support and accountability
- how sustainable the arrangement is for your family
At the end, you'll see what's working well, which areas may need more attention, and get practical free resources to help you decide what to do next.
You don't need to understand Personal Health Budgets, Direct Payments or how the system works before you start.
You know your child. That's enough to begin.
Our Story
Why I created this
I'm Ed, and I'm also the parent of a child with complex medical needs.
Our son was born in 2012 with Myotubular Myopathy, a rare and life-limiting muscle condition.
Over the years our family has experienced different ways of providing his care. We've had care that worked well, but we've also experienced missing shifts, unsuitable staff, inflexible arrangements and times when our family had to step in because the support simply wasn't there.
Eventually, we moved from agency care to a Direct Payment and began employing our own team. For our family, that gave us much more choice and control, and many of our carers have now been with us for years.
But our answer isn't necessarily your answer.
That's one of the reasons I created Caring Families.
I want parents to be able to understand what's happening with their child's care, recognise what's working and what isn't, understand their options, and decide what they want to do next.
We guide. We don't gatekeep.
What other parents have said
"This quiz has made me take an honest look at my situation and showed me that wanting the best for my child is not selfish, it's a basic right. Now I feel I have options"
Complex Needs Parent
"The quiz has shown just how much my child's care package is not supporting us as a family but I just didn't realise with all the day to day struggles. Now I can potentially see a way forwards"
SEN Parent
"The quiz has made me stop and think if there are other ways for me to get the right care for my child on my terms, being the expert in their day to day care needs"
Complex Needs Parent
