Why are vehicle checks important in the healthcare industry?
24 February 2026
As parents, we want to do the best for our children. Setting up care for your child could allow their needs to be met while taking some of the weight off the whole family’s shoulders. We all need help at some point in our lives and knowing when to accept that help can make a big difference.
Some people seem to assume that parents can keep going forever. While you may do your best to push through tiredness, stress, and other factors, you cannot keep going indefinitely. At some point, something has to give. This could result in physical illness or even problems with your mental health.
At Absolute, we want to erase the stigma associated with parents asking for help. It is our belief that if more people felt able to ask for, and give, help when it’s required, the world would be a nicer, more prosperous place overall.
Parents, in particular, work a number of roles. Consider that, in any day, you may be:
All of this can really take its toll, especially when you factor in other roles too, such as employment, looking after other children or family members, housework, cooking, fitness, your own hygiene, development, socialisation, and getting enough rest.
Realistically, it may not be possible for you to accomplish all of that in a 24-hour period. Ask yourself which of those you sacrifice the most. Many parents find that they sacrifice sleep, known as Revenge Bedtime Procrastination, to allow them a bit more time to do things they enjoy. Often, this is because the day has been filled with tasks, chores, or things they have to do, rather than aspects of pleasure.
Setting up care for your child for a few hours a day, or a longer block once or twice a week, can allow you extra time to go out, do something for yourself, or simply rest. The outcome of this can be more enjoyment in life, as well as more inclination to create, and stick to, a sleep schedule that allows for adequate mental and physical recovery.
Alongside providing care for your child with additional needs, you may also have other children or require time and attention. You may notice that the majority of your time is spent with the child who requires more complex care, resulting in less availability for any other children in your home.
In 2010, Alicia Maples coined the term ‘glass child’ in her TED Talk about siblings of children with additional needs. This results in other children feeling ‘looked through’. While you may need to spend a lot of time with one child to ensure their wellbeing, their siblings may feel at a disadvantage.
These siblings may not be able to attend clubs, social activities, or get the quality time they desire from their parents because logistics and time constraints don’t allow you to do everything.
This is another reason why care for your child can be important. Utilising trained Healthcare Assistants means that your child with additional needs will still be looked after but frees up some time for you to build and maintain your bond with other children.
All care staff are thoroughly vetted before starting work, which means that you would be able to leave the house, if you so choose, while the visit takes place. It may also be beneficial to liaise with local groups, such as the Hampshire Young Carers Alliance, to offer siblings more support, especially if they aid with the care of their brother or sister.
Learning social skills is a crucial part of success in life. Even children with additional needs can benefit from social situations. This allows them to gain a wider circle of trusted people, take part in different activities, and can take some of the pressure off of their primary caregivers.
Socialising for children with additional needs may not look as you’d except. Depending on their needs, this might involve talking or simply spending time around others. Getting to know their care team can allow them to feel safe and secure.
It’s not just that individual who benefits from care for your child. That time will also enable you to socialise with friends or even spend more time with your partner. Everyone needs adult time to be able to recharge. This isn’t something that you should feel guilty about. In fact, having time away from your children, regardless of their needs, can be quite healthy.
Depending on the nature of your child’s additional needs, it may be possible for them to live with some level of independence. Your home may have already been altered in some way to allow for this.
When you consider care for your child, you might want to revise the tasks you think of. While our team are able to undertake standard personal care, they can also support your child as they gain more independence.
Some of the ways we achieve this are through:
Allowing your child to build and develop life skills, both with you and with their care team, can greatly improve their ability to manage independently. The earlier these skills are incorporated into your child’s daily routine, the easier it will be for them to become habit.
The skills developed can vary depending on your child. We also take their preferences into account, as part of our person-centred approach, so they will learn skills that are important to them.
Although the package of care for your child will be in their name, our support extends to the family as a whole. We understand that health conditions can have an impact on each member of the household. This is why we try to include the family in the creation and implementation of a care plan, with the consent of the client.
Open communication between yourselves and Absolute is one of the building blocks of good, successful care. This enables us to speak with you about any concerns or suggestions we might have, allowing for flexibility and a care package as unique as your child! Likewise, it also strengthens your support network. We like to build positive working relationships with the whole family. Therefore, if you find yourself struggling, or in need of more care hours, we will listen. Should the problem not be something that we are able to assist with, our team will then signpost you to resources.
Care for your child can be undertaken through either your local Children’s Services, or independently as a private client. There may also be scope for you to receive a number of hours of care paid for by your local council. Should you want, or require, more, you may then be able to pay privately to top them up.
The process of setting up a package of care for your child is quite simple. Contact Absolute Healthcare Providers today and one of our Care Co-ordinators will take your details, as well as information about your child. We will then come out to meet you and your family, conducting risk assessments and recording what you would like to get out of care. We will then allocate staff to your visits, and you’ll be sent a weekly rota so you know who will be visiting.
We like to create teams for our clients, rather than having a single Healthcare Assistant who visits you. This allows your child to spend time with different people but also allows for visits to be covered in the event of absences.
Speak to Absolute today to start experiencing these benefits for yourself!
Verity joined Absolute in February, 2025, as our HR & Recruitment Administrator.
With a background in HR, customer service, and marketing, she has taken the lead on crafting digital content.
Outside of work, Verity enjoys woodland walks, cooking, and video games.
