Respite Care in Stevenage

Stevenage • Hertfordshire

Short-term and emergency respite care in Stevenage

Caring for a relative in Stevenage is rewarding work, yet nobody can keep it up for months without a pause. Respite gives you time to rest, get over your own illness, go on holiday or catch up on sleep. Meanwhile a trained Care Professional keeps your relative safe and well at home. It can be booked well in advance for a planned break, or arranged at short notice when a crisis leaves a carer suddenly unable to cope. Protocol Healthcare Services has been in care and staffing since 2016 and has held CQC registration for personal care since 2019, and we bring the same standards to Stevenage that we apply everywhere we work.

We do not run a branch in the town centre by the clock tower; Stevenage is covered from our London office in Edgware. From there we organise care across London and the Home Counties, with a vetted Care Professional matched to each Stevenage family. Nobody starts until their enhanced DBS check, right to work, references and training have been confirmed. A consultant is available around the clock, and that matters most when respite is needed in a hurry.

When respite care helps in Stevenage

• ✓ A planned holiday or weekend away
• ✓ Emergency cover when a carer falls ill
• ✓ Recovery after a carer's own operation
• ✓ A regular, recurring break to prevent burnout
• ✓ Support after a hospital stay or discharge
• ✓ A trial of care before a longer arrangement
• ✓ Cover for a family event or appointment
• ✓ Peace of mind that someone reliable is there

Visiting or live-in respite in Stevenage

Respite care comes in two forms, and we help you choose the one that fits. Live-in respite places a Care Professional in the home around the clock, so a carer can go away with complete peace of mind knowing their relative has full-time support in familiar surroundings. Visiting respite provides calls through the day, which suits a carer who needs to get out for a few hours, attend their own appointments or simply rest at home. Either way, the person being cared for stays in their own home in the Old Town, Bedwell or Pin Green rather than moving into an unfamiliar residential setting for the duration.

Local knowledge across Stevenage

Each part of Stevenage, the country's first designated New Town, has its own feel. Our Care Professionals work in the historic Old Town in the north and in the post-war estates of Bedwell, Broadwater, Chells and Shephall. They also cover Great Ashby, Martins Wood, Pin Green, Poplars, Roebuck, St Nicholas and Symonds Green. Because we hold a bank of vetted Care Professionals, we can usually respond quickly across the SG1 and SG2 postcodes when a family carer needs cover at short notice, and our coordinators plan around the town's traffic and parking so support arrives when it is promised.

Respite is also invaluable around a hospital admission. When a family carer is themselves admitted, or when their loved one comes home after treatment at the Lister Hospital off Coreys Mill Lane, run by East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust, short-term respite bridges the gap. We manage medication, mobility, meals and personal care during recovery, keeping families and community teams informed, and step back as things settle.

Free intermediate care, usually for up to six weeks after a needs assessment, may come first (NHS guide to recovery care). Our respite can fit around those visits or follow on.

Respite at home versus a short stay in a care home

Respite can also mean a short stay in a care home, booked with the home or the council. We do not run care homes; we arrange respite at home. A care home may suit better if someone needs nursing care on site. The NHS guide to carers' breaks and respite care lists other options, and our respite care overview and respite care guide compare them.

Funding and the cost of respite care in Stevenage

Respite can be arranged by the week for live-in cover or by the visit for daily support, and we give you a clear quote before anything begins. Many Stevenage families self-fund, but carers have rights too: Hertfordshire County Council, working alongside Stevenage Borough Council, can carry out a carer's assessment to look at your need for a break and may contribute to the cost. Ask whether council funding can be paid as a direct payment, which you can then use with us. Care at home in England is regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Our team is happy to explain the routes, and you can read more on our paying for care guide or explore our full range of services.

More than home care: staffing for Stevenage providers

We are also an REC-affiliated staffing agency working across London and the Home Counties. In Stevenage, care homes, supported living services and NHS teams can use us to fill shifts, including cover for staff sickness and annual leave. We supply NMC-registered nurses, support workers, and mental health and learning disability specialists.

Areas of Stevenage we cover for respite care

Stevenage neighbourhoods where we can arrange respite include:

• Old Town
• Bedwell
• Broadwater
• Shephall
• Chells
• Pin Green
• Symonds Green
• Martins Wood
• Roebuck
• St Nicholas
• Poplars
• Great Ashby