Exclusive: Scots mum's appeal to tackle isolation among parents of children who have disabilities

A Scots mum is appealing to the First Minister to bring Scotland’s extended household rules into line with England’s to tackle isolation and loneliness among parents of children who have disabilities and additional support needs.

Danielle Haynes’ son Emmett has additional support needs and she’s his full-time carer while her husband works.

South of the border, it is now possible for households with children under the age of five with disabilities to bubble up with another regardless of how many adults there are.

Danielle is appealing directly to Nicola Sturgeon to ask her to bring this rule into place in Scotland for children under 12 years-old.

Danielle Haynes said: "Being the parent of a child with disabilities or additional support needs is isolating enough on a normal day out with the virus because our children can't take part in the same amount of things.

"Personally, it's incredibly hard and it takes a lot of time and a lot of planning to get my son out the door to do anything at all.

"It's so isolating and lonely. You feel as if you're literally fighting this battle on your own even though there is literally hundreds of others going through the same time. It's just such an isolating time to be in your house by yourself 24/7 because you're caring for and trying to protect your child.

"I know there can't be rules made for everyone's circumstances or everyone's personal situation that they're in.

"However, when England changed their guidelines on extended households or social bubbles to include children with a disabilities and families of children who have disabilities up to any size it made me think about our situation and thousands of families within Scotland who are in a similar situation to us, where they probably don't see a lot of people and they probably connect really well with one family or household that gives support to them.

"For me it's my parents. My son is under 12 so he is able to see his grandparents without socially distancing but I'm not and obviously if they can provide the support that I need when I'm at home alone and that my husband's not with us that would be a huge huge difference for us. I think all parents are lonely currently but we are a big community of people.

"Families with children who have disabilities or additional needs are huge community but individually we have so few social connections so they are so important to us.

"I think lockdown has shown how important those little connections are to us. To have that extra person that you're able to connect with… that person that is able to provide support to you and your family makes the world of difference.

"I think if children under 12 don't have to be socially distant with anyone and you're able to have that support to provide care in a proper way for children with disabilities and give support back to the parents as well who are still essentially isolating from the world outside trying to keep their vulnerable children safe."