Could you find time to share the care? Could you spare a few hours a week to spend time with a child who has special needs? Bridgend County Borough Council’s Family Link Short Break Scheme is using this week’s “Share the Care Week” to remind people about this valuable service. The scheme allows children and young people who have a learning or physical disability, and who live with their parents, to spend short amounts of time with short break carers. It gives those young people the chance to enjoy new experiences and meet new people, but it also allows their parents to have a short break from caring too. Short break carers don’t need experience of looking after a child with a disability and training is provided. The breaks can be flexible depending on the needs of the child and could range from a few hours a week or fortnight to an overnight or weekend stay in the carer’s home. Payments are made for the times they look after the child and they are also supported by a Bridgend Family Link Scheme social worker. Stephen Jones, Supervising Social Worker explained: “The Family Link Short Break Scheme is very much a community based project, and we are extremely fortunate in Bridgend to benefit from the strong community spirit of the boroughs residents. Many of our carers are recommended to the scheme by friends and family who are themselves already carers. We work together as a team with the carers and the child’s family and the benefits are numerous for all concerned”.  For more information about becoming a short break carer, contact the Bridgend Family Link Scheme on 01656 727153.                                                                                   Share the Care Week runs from 15 – 22 March 2009. For more information about Share the Care Week visit the Share the Care website