Honeypot Eligibility Criteria

Honeypot was created to be as inclusive as possible and to ensure all Honeypot children have safe, enjoyable and valuable experiences with us. Our eligibility criteria help us to achieve these aims.

Before submitting a referral please carefully consider whether the child you’re seeking to refer meets our eligibility criteria below. If you are unsure, please contact us at info@honeypot.org.uk and we will be happy to discuss.

DEFINITION OF A YOUNG CARER

A young carer is a child or young person who provides regular and ongoing care and/or emotional support to a family member who is physically or mentally ill, disabled, and/or misuses substances.

SECONDARY AND SIBLING CARERS

Children who support an adult primary carer in caring for an adult or sibling with disabilities are also eligible for Honeypot services.

ELIGIBILITY FOR HONEYPOT SERVICES

To be eligible to access Honeypot services a child must:

·       Meet the above definition of a young carer

·       Be between 5 and 12 years of age (inclusive)

·       Be actively and substantially engaged in caring (practical and/or emotional)

·       Be negatively impacted as a result, in any of the following areas:

-      Physical/mental wellbeing

-      Educational attainment

-      Emotional and behavioural development

-      Family and/or social/peer relationships

-      If referring for respite breaks, the young carer must be compatible with the respite personal care and behaviour statement below

We understand that in some cases, a child may no longer be a young carer but appreciate that the impact of the caring responsibility may continue. Therefore, we are happy to consider applications for former young carers on a case-by-case basis.

Eligibility for respite – personal care and BEHAVIOUR

Honeypot respite breaks are highly social, with an effective child:staff ratio of 4:1. Many of our children face very challenging home environments; during their respite breaks with Honeypot we strive to provide them with a fun, friendly and positive environment in which they can feel safe, happy and relaxed. 

Regrettably, our service is not well suited to children who may be expected to exhibit behaviours which negatively impact on that environment and/or require significant individual supervision. 

We ask professionals to make an informed, objective assessment of behavioural compatibility with our break objectives and staffing ratio before referring.

Indicators of incompatibility include:

-        the need for one-to-one support in school on behavioural grounds,

-        physical or verbal aggression/abuse towards peers or adults,

-        absconding,

-        substantial resistance to reasonable direction.

Unfortunately, as a small charity, we are not able to provide specialist support on our respite trips, so we kindly ask referrers and parents/guardians to review the following personal care requirements before making a referral or accepting the offer of a respite break. 

Our respite trips are a wonderful, fun and exciting experience for our children. We fill our days with new experiences and challenges and for us to be able to do this we would love for the children who attend to....

-        Be able to cope with new situations and environments away from parents/guardians

-        Consistently and positively follow instructions from adults (parents, teachers, etc)

-        Be able to take part and enjoy activities in a group environment 

-        Be able to cope with loud noises (11 other excited children can be noisy!)

-        Be able to process emotions such as anger or frustration with healthy coping strategies such as talking through their feelings or taking a break 

-        Be able to tend to their own personal hygiene needs such as toileting, showering, brushing teeth and getting changed

Children who are acutely anxious or uncomfortable in unfamiliar social settings may find Honeypot challenging; we can offer such children and their families an informal online “meet and greet” before deciding whether to pursue a referral if desired.