Someone asked me a question about what the term 'short break' meant and how it differed from 'respite care!' I like questions I understand and can answer, even better I could talk from personal experience as the parent of a disabled child:
Under the old system, I explained, 'respite care' was the name of the support for carer families that we didn't get. There has now been a whole new initiative, funding set, priorities and importantly, a name change .... whereby instead, we now don't get any 'short breaks!'
Not moaning (and was written with a grin on my face) but I hope that services do grow and develop for so many families who (for whatever reasons) wouldn't cope without this vital support and help.
Ah, short breaks! When they rebranded this, at every other meeting I'd go to which involved me talking about our disability work someone would say "you know you can get money to take disabled young people away on residentials now under the short break scheme?" And no-one would know any more than that. But the money definitely existed somewhere. Definitely.