Our 2026 short breaks brokerage programme

When Erica joined the programme, she identified Care4Carers' need to develop their reach and awareness of service amongst unpaid carers through digital engagement and local partnerships.

Upon joining the programme, the organisation’s dedicated short breaks team, responsiveness and flexibility of their service, and their person-centred approach to short breaks were all identified as contributions to their strong service. However, Erica also identified challenges such as a lack of awareness amongst some carers, and limited capacity and resources when compared to demand. Erica looked to develop their online engagement with unpaid carers, providing clear information to carers where it can be easily accessed.

The short breaks brokerage programme has helped the organisation translate broader goals into clear, achievable actions, establishing measurables that support progress and continuous development. Taking part in the programme provided Erica with protected time to prioritise these developments, alongside a peer learning network which presented a breadth of perspectives and ideas. Participation in short breaks brokerage offered valuable learning and practical tools to support the organisation’s long-term goals.

Having identified the need to strengthen their social media presence and digital assets, the organisation has focused on developing a social media strategy which supports increased reach. The wider team have contributed to this strategic development, providing whole organisation understanding and autonomy.

Erica says that by taking part in short breaks brokerage, future participants will gain practical tools and tips that support wider organisational goals. They will also experience opportunity for collective reflection and connecting with others across the country and sector in similar positions.

Ruth joined the programme on behalf of her organisation to gain better understanding of short breaks, including the variety of activities carers can access and provision for longer holidays.

Ruth joined the programme with recognition for how a person-centred and flexible approach would best support unpaid carers in their area to access short breaks. With a changing staff team and limited capacity, the organisation were looking to develop how they can embed conversations about short breaks into their daily support, while enhancing what the service currently offered to help carers access regular breaks.

Ruth and Glasgow East End Community Carers have significantly benefitted from peer learning and the connections made through the brokerage programme. The supportive environment provided encouragement and confidence, particularly where participants share similar roles across the sector. Coupled with a structured learning programme, this has provided the organisation to evaluate their own short breaks offering and how this might be developed. Networking opportunities have also provided a wider range of ideas and approaches to short breaks from other organisations.

Ruth and the wider team now feels more confident in discussing short breaks in more detail with unpaid carers and have greater understanding on what’s available in other areas that can provide carers with additional break opportunities. Conversations with carers is steadily becoming embedded practice, with the organisation’s team gaining more confidence to identify carers’ individual outcomes and how breaks might support this.

Ruth says that future participants can expect a widened understanding of short breaks and the various kinds of breaks that are helpful to people. It offers valuable interaction with people around the country who are in similar roles and organisations, and the chance to learn from these experiences.

Artlink sought to engage more directly with unpaid carers and offer more creative respite opportunities.

Artlink identified, when embarking on the programme, that we wanted to create more creative breaks opportunities specifically for unpaid carers. This was predominantly because activities on offer cater to adults with disabilities, with their unpaid carers accessing time to themselves consequently. The short breaks brokerage programme offered the organisation the opportunity to think about how activities might be tailored for unpaid carers themselves, providing creative short breaks and developing the organisation’s engagement with families.

The learning programme has provided a structured approach to strategic development, with sessions offering protected time for planning and reflection, as well as practical tools to take developments forward. Opportunities to learn alongside other organisations have also been beneficial, supporting lasting connection and further helping drive goals forward. Personal development has also been a crucial outcome of the programme, with the organisation’s participant benefitting from a focus on wellbeing and self-care.

The organisation continues to feels confident in developing our partnership working, and from the programme has developed lasting relationships with other organisations. They have established a clear organisational direction, taking a more proactive and creative approach to short breaks for unpaid carers.

Annabel from Artlink says that future participants can embrace learning and discussion that may otherwise be limited due to capacity and resource. Participants can learn and collaborate with organisations from across Scotland, sharing opportunities, challenges and ideas on how to best support carers to access short breaks. Having the dedicated time to reflect on what has been achieved, the direction of travel, and how this will be achieved is vital to progressing against long-term goals.

Mari set out to expand reach and offering of short breaks services through nurturing partnerships and developing current systems.

Upon embarking on the programme, strengths identified included a cohesive and well-supported specialist team, working to support unpaid carers in accessing short breaks. Equally, Mari's organisation was beginning to identify and develop local partnership opportunities with a view to reaching more carers. However, as the sole worker focusing on this service, the brokerage programme felt like an opportunity to share and gain knowledge from other organisations, supporting creative and enhanced service delivery.

Through both planned sessions and networking opportunities, the brokerage programme has provided the opportunity for Mari to connect with others and participate in valuable learning exchange. It has also provided an outlet to test thinking with others in similar roles and organisations. At a time when capacity was limited and day-to-day work was heavily focused on delivery and output; the programme provided Mari with protected time to explore strategic development and meaningful enhancement of services. The balance of resources, planned sessions, and networking opportunities provided the opportunity to explore new ideas and identify clear, manageable steps towards the long-term goal.

Learning from the brokerage programme has supported both organisational and personal development alike. While Mari's learning from the programme has been shared with the wider team to improve service delivery, the programme has also helped clarify where Mari's knowledge and skills can be best used. This has helped the organisation identify the need for expansion, ensuring staff work within their best suited roles.

Mari feels that future participants should take part in the programme even if they are unsure of timing or feel their service is running well. The programme is structured to protect time for thinking and development and helps to future-proof the service. Along the way, participants will learn from others and have the opportunity to test their thinking with others in similar positions.

A participating HSCP originally looked to establish a more holistic and outcomes-focused approach to short breaks provision.

For local carers, discussion around short breaks focused primarily on carers’ needs identified through Adult Carer Support Plans. However, to achieve a more holistic approach to short breaks provision, learning how to effectively develop this at a local level was needed. It was identified by the programme participant that having person-centred discussions with carers would help carers to feel valued at each stage of the pathway to support, while also encouraging staff to explore alternative ways of providing short breaks. However, challenges such as navigating complex systems and limited resources were also considered in the development of the short breaks service. The short breaks brokerage programme offered the opportunity to explore and scope what was possible locally, and how to encourage a different way of thinking about short breaks.

The programme has provided insight into how other local areas are supporting carers to access breaks. Alongside tools such as the self-review and ‘Blueprint for brokerage’, this has helped develop a benchmark of where the HSCP is, where they would like to be, and what is realistically achievable. The programme also provided protected time for reflection, supporting strategic development and helping the original goal to be carefully scoped and considered.

Outcomes-focused thinking has been further developed because of the brokerage programme and is now being integrated across wider areas of work such as SDS and budget allocation. The programme has also helped to identify steps that must take place before the implementation of a brokerage model, encouraging an organisational shift towards person-centred practice and ensuring the sustainability of any future developments.

The HSCP representative says future participants should think clearly about what stage they are starting the programme from, and what they realistically want to achieve during this time. ‘Short breaks brokerage’ may mean different things to different people/organisations, so it’s important to establish what you want to get out of the programme to support your own learning and development.