Welcome to Comfort Zone Respite Scheme holiday club for students with special needs. The idea of setting up the club stemmed from discussions among parents and staff from Mapledown School whose children had no other place to attend or the environment was not appropriate for their children’s needs. At present the club is opened to members from 11 to 25 years old whom have attended Mapledown School. Most children look forward to the holidays but for many of our members and their families the holidays can bring stress, frustration and isolation, the holidays is the period in the year when support from statutory and other agencies is most limited, leaving families with disabled children under extreme pressure. Many young people with high support needs rarely have the opportunity to choose their own activities and socialise away from family or teachers. This is an important aspect of growing up, vital for the development of independence, self-confidence and social skills but young people with severe learning difficulties, multiple and profound disabilities and or/autism have particular difficulty accessing these opportunities until now. We provide a few hours’ break, allowing parents to focus on their other children, do things that are impossible when caring for their disabled child or just take a well-deserved break. We have a wonderful team of staff who support our members during activities, which enables them to join in and support their care and health needs. Our staff have a range of relevant qualifications and experience that enables them to provide specialised individual support for a wide range of support needs. We are based at Mapledown School where we have a wide variety of equipment available to use. Days at the Comfort Zone Respite Scheme are packed full of fun activities for the children to enjoy. We aim
to provide social outlet for people with special needs
To develop the members social skill, self-esteem and quality of life through a dynamic range of activities
To provide support, information and respite for parents and families.
