Jack Mackay organises supported holidays for people with learning disabilities.
We work with clients with mild to severe learning disabilities, autism and Down’s Syndrome. Some clients will also have mobility or additional care needs. We typically stay in standard hotels, meaning some of our holidays can’t be wheelchair accessible.
It’s a lot of work—we must ensure the holiday is appropriate and a great match for the client. This can be a complicated process as we may have to communicate with numerous parties to get the information we need. We carefully assess each person on an individual basis, which means we really get to know the people who travel with us. Our detailed assessment process covers things like mobility needs, personal care requirements, personal preferences, behavioural traits, interests and medical requirements. It’s important to us that people get the holidays they want and can participate fully. We adapt to individual circumstances at every stage of the booking process.
As we get closer to each departure date, we send out a detailed information pack which gives full detail on how to equip the person travelling, and ensures we are given vital information such as emergency contact details and medication specifications. When our groups are on holiday, they often encounter members of the public who notice us (and sometimes get to know our people). Some kind people send us lovely feedback about our staff and clients, and they tell us what a wonderful job we have, going on holiday all the time. It may look like a cushy number, but they don’t see all the essential work that goes on behind the scenes. Not only in the office—our holiday supporters work long days in a demanding role. They love their work, but the demands on them are high. They get to choose which holidays they work on, but they aren’t involved in the planning, so we provide them with every last detail, and nothing is left to chance. They have a clear itinerary and their job is to ensure a smooth experience, whether it’s a short break in Blackpool or a long haul trip from Heathrow to New Zealand and back again.
Coming away on holiday with us can be the highlight of the year for our clients. Most try new experiences, make friends and gain confidence in the process. On arriving at the hotel to spend Christmas and New Year with us, a client recognised supporter Matt, yelled YESSSSS! and rushed over to hug him. Another long-standing client often mentions the time our director Kirstine took her clubbing in Tenerife thirty years ago, and hopes to celebrate her 50th birthday with us this year.
Yes, it’s challenging, complicated and time-consuming, but we do it because our clients love travelling with us and we believe that everyone deserves a holiday. We get to take people on holidays who might otherwise never travel at all. What a privilege.