Cool2Care

Cool2Care is excited to launch a new Family Reciprocity programme. Families with disabled children can connect and support each other through the exchange of time. This will benefit disabled children, young people, siblings and parents, all while helping this innovative organisation support even more families across the UK.

Website:  www.cool2care.co.uk, Facebook page

Cool2care will apply its core model of recruiting, screening, training and matching Personal Assistants with families with disabled children to the new Family Reciprocity Programme. Rather than matching families with individual PAs, this programme will match families with other families with disabled children.  Families can offer their time to each other with the incentive of them banking the time they contribute. Banked time can then be redeemed when they need support for their own family, helping improve access to care and relieve stress. 

The expectation is that through this scheme, parents and siblings will benefit not only by earning credits of time for support, but also by being connected to other families that have shared experiences of disability. This will build support networks and reduce isolation which is cited as an issue affecting 65% of UK families with disabled children today.

The Award: Cool2Care has been awarded £100,000 to develop a pilot across four localities in England and hope to roll out this programme nationally following evaluation.

Contacts

• Phil Conway: Founder and CEO, phil.conway@cool2care.co.uk
• Emily Ghazarian:Head of Fundraising, emily.ghazarian@cool2care.co.uk

Testimonials

Cool2Care has received positive feedback from Commissioners, PAs and families who have benefited from their services:

"My son has had a major spinal operation, I don't know what I would do without Cool2Care. They have found us two lovely carers, I would not be able to cope without their help."  Parent

"Cool2Care have provided me with an incredible insight into working with disabled children, and have opened up a new world of opportunities for me. The training course was excellent, and all the staff do amazing work." - young PA

"After a recommendation by other families in our position, Cool2Care proactively helped us overcome the barriers to employ a PA and I now have a well-trained person who supports my whole family. As a result we have less stress and more time." - parent of disabled boy

"Although I've been teaching and caring for A., the care has had a funny way of teaching me about myself too. Whenever I meet someone with a different perspective on the world around us it helps me to develop and question my own perspective too....The care has had such a positive effect on me.  It has set me with challenges, placed me in to new ways of socialising and as a result developed my self esteem. Above all it makes me feel like I'm making a difference. I think very highly of the family I've been placed with, and would love to continue the work for as long as I possibly can" - young PA.