-I

'l feel there would be less all round pressure knowing that there isalways a holiday to look forward to . . .' single parent

'Miss D . . . appeared to derive great benefit from the holiday. Thisgave her morale a great boost and emphasised the importance ofarranging a break from her very solitary life . . .' chronically sickwom0n

'lf I had the choice I'd want to give my family a holiday and wecould face the coming year more cheerfully . . .' single parent

'Mrs A was recently widowed, living aione and had little contactwith the outside world. Since returning from the holiday she hasregularly attended a luncheon club and is beginning to take a newinterest in life . . .' elderly widow

'36/o of all chronically sick and disabled persons requested aholiday compared with l7 f requesting a friendly visitor,l2/orequesting a mobile'library, and',Sof requesting short stayresidential accommodation . . .' Survey by Oldham CountyBorough Councilinto the needs ofhandicapped and elderly persons

'This Authority does not have any scheme for providing orassisting in the provision ofholidays for disadvantaged groups ofpeople. . .'Scottish Local Authority

Holidays: the social needSponsored jointly bythe English Tourist Board and theTrades Union Congress

Published by the English Tourist Board, 4 Gros!enor Gardens, London SWIW oDU

@ English Tourist Board 1976PV 116213500l6 l7 6

Designed by Lloyd Northo\er Limited, LondonPrinted in Great Britain by Gwynne Printers Limited,Hurstpicrpoint, West Sussex

Members of the Sociai Tourism Study Group

D O Gladwin (Chairman) General and Municipal Workcrs' UnionMember, English Toudst Board

P Baynes Brirish Tourist AuthorityMrs Gold Blytl i tndustrial Society (from Januar.y 1976)L Borley English Tourist Board

t M Cannell l rades Union CongressR Carter Scottish Tourist BoardJ A East Lnglish Tourist BoardB Faunt National and Local Governntcnt AssociationMiss S Forester National Council of Social ScrviceSir Alcxandcr GIen Brit ish Tou.ist AuthofltyN,ljss A Hurcomb Age ConcernD J Jeffries English Tourist BoardT Jenkins Transport Salaried Stafl Associ.rtionF, T Leu,is Wales Tourist Boardl\4rs H Liddell Scottish Trades Union CongressT Nlorgan l-ransport Salaried Staff AssociationT Parker National League for the l lt ind and DisabledNliss B Read Brit ish Association for Social WorkersMrs A Sandall Health Visitors Associi lt ion(; Saunders Wales Tourist Board

t .I A Stevens Tiansport and C cneral Workers' UnionMiss T Tietjen Indust.ial Society (unti l January 1976)ll Travers l.conarcl Cheshire FoundationMrs P Turner (icneral and Municipal Workers' UnionD Webb National Council for One parcnt FamiliesJ Whitakcr Automobile Association

Miss S Finch (Secrctirr))

Contents

Summary pafe 1

I Introduction paSe 5

Part A: Low fncome Groups

I I Wagc-carncrs holiday cxpectations and nceds /.rgc 7

Part B: Socially Disadvantaged

ll l F.raluation of holi ' lays pdge ,1-'

lV Level of need for assisted holidays page 17

V Current provision ol lou cost and assisted holida)s p(r8s 2f./

VI Transport page J4

VII Accommodation tnd facil i t ies paSc -i7

VIII Information page J9

IX Overseas practicc pag( 41

X Conclusions and recomnrcndations paSe 44

Appenilices page 47

vll

2

3

Tables

Comparison of the Number of Floli( lays Takcn b)'Onc and Two Parent Families pdgc '18

Number of Clients by"f)Fe of Schenre and T)fe of Local Autl\otity,1969 page23

Perclnti lge ol Cll icnls of Dil lercnt f iroups l(rr ench'fype of Schcme, 1969 248( f-l

v l l t

Appendices

I Organisations Approached lor Evidence page 48

2 London Boroughs Provision of Subsidised Holidays: 1976 surley and published sourec'ipage 49

3 Elderly Population of the UK l97l 8l page5l

4 Social Security Provision for the Elderly in Great Britain lage J.l

-5 Elderly Peoplc Living Alonc in UK pa83 -tf

6 Persons Registered as Substantially or Permanently Disabled in England at Year Ending3l March 1975 pase 52

7 Persons Registered b) Degree of Disablemcnt in England at Year Ending 3l March 197-spage 52

8 Residential and Other Services l 'rovided Mainly for Elderly and Handicapped l,./8c -5.1

9 Children in One-Parent Fanilies page J-t

l0 Families Receiving Income Supplement pagc 53

I I Organisation of Diflcrcnt Local Authority Schcmes p48e 54

| 2 Scottish Tourist Board Survey of Local Authorities ,?age 60

t3 Estimates of Local Authority Expenditure on subsidised Holidays in England and WalesDuring Year Endcd 3lMarch19'15 page 60

14 Compa son with Local Authodty Expenditure on Other Support Se ices andCommunity Carc Itefi\s page 6l

15 Expenditure on Subsidised Holidays with Population of More than 200,000 in Englandand Waf es in Year to March 1914 page 62

l6 London Boroughs Provision of Holiday (Year Ended 31 March) paee 63

i 7 Expenditure of London Boroughs on Sribsidised Holidays During Year Endcd -3 I Nlarch197 5 page 64

18 Multiple Deprivation and the Provision of Subsidised Holidays in England and Walespage 65

l9 Number of Local Authorities with Different Transport Arrangements by T!'pc olA\thority paee 66

20 Overseas Practice: Terrns ofReference for Investigation tat.66

21 Overseas Practice: Summary of lnvestigation r.?t(,i ')/

t x

IDUmmarv

This is the f,nal report of the Social_Tourism Study Group, established iornuy by theEnglish Tourist Board and the Trades Unioo congress eaily i" isi; *iil, tlr" ui_ ofidentifying those groups of peopre who a." "nutr" to tutl u rroriJav a*uy rrom ho-"ano makrng recommendations for early and longer term action including somesuggested allocation of responsibilities.

In accordance with the terms of reference, the work of the Group fell broadly into twomain areas-those who cannot take a holiday because of finan"iit "oir-t.uirrt", unO tt or"who are disadvantaged in ways apart from oi as well as havin;;i;; ir".-".

An rnterim Report, reproduced in section rr, considered the economicalry disadvan_taged. The recommendations in this report, which is now under consideration by theTUC, are based on research carried out by the planning and R"."ui"f, Urrlt of tfr"English Tourist Board, examining the holiday expectati-ons aoA n""Jr-oi unionb"a *ug"-earners and lower paid salaried workers. The proposals for action reflect an expressedneed for improved holiday entitlements and pay, better information about low-costholiday facilities and ce ain shifts of emphaiis in supply.

The second part of the Study Group,s work programme was concerned specifically withthose groups who may not take a holiday teia".e of age, ifl-fr"aftfr oi famifycircumstances as well as financial difficulties. Written and verUat eulOeice *as sougtrtfrom a-]vide range of organisations, and further work was unae.tat"n ty tne nesea.ctrUnit of ETB, including a survey of London Boroughs.

The latter exercise, together with case study tvork by members of the Group, confirmedthe particular social and medical value of holidays to the socially disaclvantaged, enablingthese groups to enjoy a break from stressful situations, mitigatingitheieeo ror resioentialcare' preventing the breaking up of families, or sirnply allowing them to take advantageof comfort or good food which they may be denied in their daylto_day lives.

Published national social service statistics were used to give indicators of the possiblelevel of need for assisted holidays; these were compared with the current provision oflow cost and assisted holidays by local authorities, voluntary associations and commercialoperators, in order to identify where and how demand is currently being met, and toestablish the.possible extent of unmet need.

The problems of finding accommodation of a suitable type and at a reasonable cost wereexamined, and in particular the special requirements of the disabled and iess actlveelderly. Existing capacity was reviewed to try and identify whether further supply.wasnecessary.

Since transportation is a key element in holiday-taking current usage of facilities wasreviewed in order to find which types of trausport are used most often for social tourismpurposes and what more might need to be made available to maximise opportunities forthe socially disadvantaged to take holidays.

The present range of information and its availability was considered as awareness aboutholiday opportunities is important for maximum use to be made of them.

rt was recognised that since social tourism is incoDorated in the social welfare poriciesof several European countries, it could become the subject of legislation within theEuropean Economic Community. The British Toudst Authority, on behalf of the Group,investigated the handling of social tourism by selected countries in Europe, in order tocompare their policies and practice with our own, to see whether higher levels ofassistance are being achieved and if so to make recommendations accordingly,

From the evidence collected by the Group it is clear that much more could and shoutdbe done in this country to enable everyone, whatever their social or economic status totake a holiday, and the Study Group has made the following recommendations foraction:

Gencral

1 In view of the essential role of holidays, social tourism should be recognised as animportant part of a general social responsibility to all of the disadvantaged groups whichhave been considered in this leport.

F

L 2 The responsible authorities, both public and private, as well as the general public, should'

be made aware of the holiday needs of the disadvantaged. The Statutory Tourist Boardsas part of their responsibilities as advisers to Government and public bodies shouldundertake an educational progfamme with this aim.

Public Authoritiese'^ -t 3 Local authorities should monitor the level of need for assisted holidays so that they? might be in a better position to make the best possible use of resources in the provision

of assisted holidays. This could be achieved through the offices of the local authorityassociations.

4 The statutory arrangements v/ithin which local authorities provide assisted holidaysshould be revised to ensure that all groups who could benefit flom a holiday are included;and every etro should be made to make local authorities fully aware of theirdiscretionary powers so that the level of need may be met more adequately than atpresent.

f-5 Those deserving priority of assistance need the closest possible attention, primarily inL, terms of speciflc disability-whether mental, physical or social-and irrespective of age;

and there should be comprehensive national guidance on criteria of ' need ' for under-privileged goups. This guidance should be provided by the DHSS to enable the localauthorities to fulfil the duties recommended under (3).

[6 There should be national guidance for authorities on priorities within the total welfare^ ' programme, allowing local agencies scope for making their own local choices in the light

of local needs, but at the same time ensuring that the relative value of services is fullyrecognised and that the proper balance is achieved.

Whilst recognising the financial stringency to wbich all types of social seryice are subjectat the present time, Government should consider as a long-term objective making greater

resources available to local authorities to achieve an improved level of assistance in linewith the guidance on priorities recommended above, if necessary as an integral part ofrate support grant.

12

l3

14

J l s

16

t 8

l 1

G

*.(::

l1t

f8 More attention should be given to the provision of family holidays, particularly where-

there is a handicapped or elderly member.

Voluntary Associations

fj Voluntary associations should be encouraged by means of financial aid made through theTourist Boards towards the cost of providing facilities.

60 Co-op.rution und co-ordination between voluntary bodies and public authorities should-

be continued and developed, so that the maximum use may be made of available

opportunities.

fl t There should be nationat voluntary schemes of assistance for those with rare types ofL disability needing highly specialised facilities.

22

+ E

4g

Thc Travcl Trade

12 Tour op€rators should continue to be encouraged by the Tourist Boards to increase thelevel of provision for the ' social tourism ' market, and to consider catering for thoseoutside the local authority responsibility lvho do not necessarily nced slr€cial facilities,such as one-parent families.

{t 13 Local authorities and cha ties should be able to use the expertise of the travel trade in- their provision of subsidised holidays, for example, by means of the . clearing house 'recommended under (23) below.

14 Steps should be taken by the Tourist Boards to review the possibility of enabling one-parent families to enjoy similar concessions to two-parent families,

, Trensport

l-15 Detailed consideration should continue to be given to ways in which transportation could' be improved for the disabled, and pressure brought to bear by public and private bodieson the major carriers.

16 Reduced fares available to the disadvantaged should be reviewed and codified to ensuremaximum use is made of spare capacity.

f]f Close consideration should be given to the needs of the disabled and other socially' disadvantaged groups before any public transpott services are discontinued

Accommodation and Frcilitics

18 Every possible means should be explored of ofiering some part of holiday accommodationto disadvantaged groups so that where feasible they may enjoy a , normal ' holidayenvironment.

(!9 Information about suitable design of new holiday accommodation should be avaitableto hoteliers and so on as this could considerably increase the volume of accommodationavailable to the less severely handicapped,

.,f20 As nart of the advisory service recommended under (25) below the relationship betweenf - - demand and supply should be closely monitored in order that any deficiencies in supply

can be identified and lvhere possible rectified; and spare capacity can be promoted tothe social tourism ' market '.

[t Providers of low cost accommodation should be pressed to make some of the minorL . adaptations which would enable the more eldcrly and disabled to go on holiday with

their families or simply to have more choice of location and accommodation.

The Tourist Boards

22 The National Toudst Boards agree that social tourism should be an essential part ofthcir responsibilities.

{ p3 The Boards should set up a ' clearing house ' of information on accommodation and- transport available for social tourism purposes; this information to be atthe disposal of public and p vate bodies dealing with assisted holiday provision.

1p [-z+ The Boards should produce more detailed information on low-cost accommodation andL/ transport available for $oups or individual travellers as part of their social tourism

service.

{d6i fhe nouras rhould set up a social tourism advisory service to advise suppliers of holiday{ L, accommodation and facilities on the needs of the underprivileged.

I Introduction

I . I Holidays have become a mdjor itcn ol. consunrer expenditure, providrng a focus forleisure activities during the 1.ear. For working peopli they repiesent an esscntial break,and for those who live in stressful and isolated situations through old age, ill_health orfamily circumstances they are recognised as having important meclical and socialbenefits.

1.2 Holidays havc become incrcasingly important to trade unions and therr membels, andentit lements have become the subject of resolutions within the European EconomicCommunity. Legislation exists enabling local authorities to assist ceitain groups withinthe community to take a holiday; and many voluntary associations are actively concernedin pror iding a brcak for the i l l and the deprived.

1 3 whilst thc status of horidays is refrected in the fact that six in ten British adults takeat least one holiday away from home each year r, there are many who are unable to doso because they have limited l inancial means, or are older and less mobile thanholiday-takers. These peoplc mr.) be in speciar need of a break because their situationcan give rise to stress, the) ma) bc liling alone, and they are unlikely to be able to takeadvantage of leisure opportunities which most pcople take for granted in their everydaylives. It is a reflection of our social policy that those who are most in need of the benefitsthat a holida!,can bring are least able to take one.

1.4 Social Tourism

These people come within the orbit of what is termed SOCIAL TOURISM, desc bed as:'The whole ol the relationships an(l lenomena in tl.tc frel(l of tourism retulting fromlarticipation in lrcvt'l hy economically wc<tk or othcrwi.rc tlisadvanlaged elements of

l.-5 The term ' social ' carrics with it the idea of action on behalf of these groups who maybe disad!antaged through age, disabil ity or family circumstanccs. So far as tourism isconcerned, this calls for taking thc appropdate mcilsures to lacilitate, and to makepossiblc participation in holiday-taking both in the interests of society and the well-beingofthose encompassed in the term ,social tourism,.

1.6 Social Tourism Study G.oup

In 1974, pronlpted by the nature and size of the problem within Bdtain, the TradesUnion Congress and the English Tourist Board formed a joint Social Toudsm StudyCroup, under the Chairmanship of Mr Dcrek Gladwin; its members and theorganisations whom they represent are l isted at the front of this documem.

1.7 Te.ms of Reference

The Study Group approved the following terms of reference:

(i) That Social Tourism be taken as covering two main areas:a) examination of wage-earners' holiday expectations and needsb) identification of the types ol people who are unable to take a holiday away fromhome and the reasons

and in the light of this definition:

(i i) To establish the current situation in the UK regarding i (a) and (b) above and toinvestigate and compare relevant foreign practice.

(i i i) To make comprehensive reccmmendations for early and longer term actionincluding some suggested allocation of responsibil i t ies.

I British Home Tourism Survey.2 From Hunzjger. ' Socia l Tour ism, I ts Naturc and Problenrs ' , Al l ianc€ I r lernat ionale de Tonr isme,

Geneva, 1951.

I I

2.1

1.8 Thc Work ot the GrouD

ln the init ial stagcs of its work, the Group was concerned with thc non-holiday-takers asa whole, approaching many organisations for written and verbal evidence (see Appendix1), and gradually building up a morc detailcd picture oI who the disadvantaged were.what was being done lor them already and what fu hcr rction might be taken.

1.9 lt bccame evident that those unalllc to takc holidays away from home fell into t$obroad groups, the distinction largcly dctermined by the soJutions envr'saged and whowonld ult imateiy bc responsible for implementing them.

1.10 On the one hand there were the Iow-paid, mainly wage-earners, for whom the maindeterrent to going on holiday is lack of money.

1.1 I on thc other hand there were several groups, such as the elderly, disabled, one-parentfamilies and deprived children where there may be problems additional to the cost: thesepeople often havc difierent holiday needs such as special facilities, trained staff in highernumbe$, undeftanding oltheir particular social problems and so on.

1.12 The two grouts arc not of course mutually exclusile, but it was felt that the most usefulapproach would be to consider them separately, and in August 1975, an Intedm Reportof the Study Group was produced, conccrned primarily uith the low-paid and carryingrccomrnendations for action.

2 . 2

2 .4

2 .5

1.13 These $erc bascd on research carried out for the Research Unit of the English TouristBoard and cxamining the holiday cxpcctations and needs of all unionised wage-earners.plus all unionised salary workeN who wcre earning Iess than f,2,000 per annum (1974).The nndings of the research, and the recommendations fo. action arising out ol themappear in Part A.

1.14 whilst rcsponsibility for carrying through these proposals for action lies in part with thetrade unions (via collective bargaining stmtegy) and in part with the Tourist Boards ardthe commercial sector, the second group represents part of a general social responsibility 2 6

and is thcrefore to a greater extcnt the responsibility of the public authoritics whoserole is to concern themselves activcly with the socially disadvantaged on behalf of thenation as i l whole. That an enormously important part of existing provision is byvoluntary associations is rccognised and welcomed, but the Croup was concerned to . ,establish whether currcnt statutory provision in relation to holidays is adequate andwhcther there were any disadvantaged groups not being catered for within currentlegislative aIIangements.

Within its terms of reference the aim of the Group in the second part of its workprogramme was:

l to establish the importance of holidays to the sociall) disadvantaged:

2. to estimate the level of need for holidays; 2.8

3. to assess the extcnt to which this need is being met, whether by local authorit ies,voluntary associations or commerciai operators; and

4. on the basis of this information to make rccommendations which, if implemented,would ensure that the maximum possible was being done to enable those who al present

cannot take a holiday away from home ' to do so. 2 9

The necessary infornration was obtained through:

-survey research by the Planning and Research Unit of the English Tourist Board' 2.10including a study of statistical information'-case study work by members of the Group-consultation with public authorities, voluntary associations and commercial providers

of tourist se ices.

] j T h c c r o u p a c c e p t e d t h a t i n t h e c o n t c x t o f i t s w o | k . h o l i d a y s ' s h o u l d ; n c l u d e a v i s i t t o | r i e n d s a n d

{ Sce Appendix 2.

6

2.4

Part A: Low Income Groups

II Wage Earners'holiday expectations and needs:Summary and Conclusions of Research

2.1

2 . 2

2 .5

2 .6

2 .1

The Importance of Holidtys'Iherc

is no doubt of the basic assumption in the ninds of most respondents that a hol ida]from work is essential. The great n)aiori t) (84q.,) had takerl their ful l enti t lenleDt in theprevious )ear and half the rcnraindcr were'saring i t up'. Two thirds had taken aholday a$a) from home (most had onl], taken one) and i l l hut a f i f th thought i tiDportant to go awa)-ftost ' as a total l l reak .

A week's paid hol ida! sounded better to nrost nrclnbcrs than a week s wages or a shorterworking reek. Gi\cn altcrnati \es of extra hol ida] the prelercnce $as for a conrplcteweek rather than two half wecks. r.vcarly al l thought that there should be a law forminimum holiday cnti t lcment (with ntorc sa)ing this should be 4 than those saying 3weeks).

' l he reasons for l hol ida)' had a dif ferent emphasis for two groups of people, those with

and without a family'- ' becausc my wife and clr i ldrcn needed i t ' and ' rel ief from theroutine/physical effort of work ' .

Hol idays away fron] homc tend to be treated as a necessity. A hol iday this year wasnearer the basic car and refr igerator in the order of priori t ies than a newer car or centralheating. '

( i )st js the main deterrent pre\ enting a third of nembers from going awa]. 4390 notgoing said they could not afford i t . Monc] wi ls the part icular concern of those with ) 'oungfanri l ies and lower income groups.

Present Enti t lenrents and Arrangement\: I{orv Satisfactory?

Entit lement

Hil l f of the r lembcrs had 3 weeks enti t lement, a quarter 4 wecks and the remainingquarter were half less than 3 and half more than 4 weeks spl i t equally between. Thesengures, and those for hol iday pay, accord with Department of Employment f igures fbrhol iday enti t lemcnt and pay.

l he majori ty (thrce quartcrs) were satisl icd with their hol iday enti t lement. This answershould be related to the other results to sho$'that hol idals are considered esscntial i rndextra paid hol iday better than e)i tra cash but that enti t lements are not that far sho ofthe basic need. Satisfact ion is obriously low among those with 2 weeks (or less) hol ida! ' ithis appl ies to l19o of members.

Pay on Holidays

l wo thirds were on basic pay for hol jcla)s and one third on better terms. The level ofs4tisfact ion with hol iday pa] 'ua! onlr- ma|ginal l l ' less than i t was with hol ida\enti t lement.

Timing of Ilolidays

2.9 More than half arc subject to t iming restr ict ions but this is a najor problenr lor only

690 of membcrs who are more l ikely to be famil ies with chi ldren.

2.lO 94qo take thetr main holiday awa'v from home (which is their only holiday away for

most) between July and September. fhere are sumcient members without company or

fnmily restrictions to be able to conclude that an off-peak nlain holiday is not a general

Deed. The explanation is probably gi\en in what was considered the most impodant

attr ibute of a hol ldat: good weather.

, t sasedoDanan r l ys i so f l heex i cn ! l i ) 1 \ ' h i ch r ! s } rndcn !s$ i rn l cdone l )peo fhouseho lddu rab leasopposed to al l olher 1yp€s of houschold durables. and in lhi\ contert. rcSrrding the taking of aho l ida) i lway f ronr homc as a h r " rseho ld du fah lc

2 . 8

The Needs on Hollday

2.11 Given the choice the preference is for holidays in Britain (rather than abroad 59-297o)because it is perceived that there is better food, and no language problem, it may becheaper and therg is less travel. These last two rcasons are particularly important tofamilies with children. Only l37o had been abroad in the year of the survey (1974) and3l9o in the last l0 years. The fundamental attraction of the continent is good weather.The most popular destinations in this country wcre the West Country, South East, Walesand Scotland.

2. l2 The most impo ant ingredients of a good holiday away are sunny weather, good food,plenty of spending money and nice scenery. Accommodation facton are less important.

2.13 Accommodation for the main holiday is mostly commercial, half of which is self-serviced (particularly for those with children). 59qo use a car-73qo of families withyoung children use a car. In families with children all the family normally goes awayon holiday together; grandparents accompany in only 5qo of cases. Pcr memberexpenditure on the main holiday averaged f,107 in 1974 (including expenditure byspouse when accompanying member).

2.14 The one third who did not go away at all spcnt t ime decorating, doing general jobsaround the house and went on dav triDs.

Summary of Respondents' Viervs on Actlon

Enlitlement

2.l5 There was almost universal agreement on the necessity of a holiday from work and theneed for a law to establish a minimum entitlement. An extra week's paid holiday ispreferred by most to a week's extm wages. Obviously all could do with more holiday butthe clcarest division in satisfaction is between those with 2 and 3 weeks which includesthose in most need of more holiday. The limits of requirement are relatively narrow.Although the main pressure is for 4 weeks minimum, only l690 thought it should bemore than 4 *eek3.

P8y on HolidNy

2.16 Only a third are on bette! than basic pay at holiday time; there is slightly less satisfactionand more room for improvement in this area. This survey confirmed the fundamentalimportance of money on holidays; it is the main thing preventing a third of members fromgoing away and rest cting the use of the holiday for those who do go away. Again theyounger family man js particularly hard hit. There is evidence of interest in an SAYEscheme for holidays. Ways need to be found of introducing such schemes without thefear (voiced in the qualitative stage of this research:) of company involvement in private

afairs.

Holiday Timlng

2.17 Although there are timing restrictions they are not a real problem for the great maiodty

of members. The preferred timing of the main holiday for most people is July to Sep-

tember; good weather is the most important ingredient of a holiday; cxtra holiday is for

most preferred in one piece rather than split up. There appears to be no particular need

for off-peak holidays. Respondents thought that a small minority of employers could be

more flexible with their holiday arrangements

, See Appendlx 2.

e

2.20

2 . t 8

t r o

2.22

2.25

Direct help for differena typ€6 of holidsys

2.18 Most popular of a list of possible actions was a union (rather than employer) producedbrochure giiing details of British holidays in various price categories. This was morepopular than the direct subsidy of a holiday abroad,

2.19 Of subsidised holiday accommodation, union-sponsored was preierred to employer-sponsored and hotels were preferred to holiday camps. The only accommodation schemewith much appeal was the hotel owned by the union, but respondents were oo the wholeunattracted by the suggestion of subsidised holidays. The food and the scenery are moreimportant than the luxury of the accommodation. Most important is reasonable costbecause money is the main barrier to the taking and en.ioyment of holidays.

Dlfferent help needed for different groups

2,20 Throughout this enquiry particular needs are apparent for those with children, especiallyyoung children. The whole purpose of holidays is different and is as much for the motherand the children as for the union member himself; if there is a holiday away all thefamily go together. Children dictate the timing and type of place they can go to. Mostimpodantly children are expensive, through sheer number and the much greater lreed ofa car. To thesc people inexpensive self-seNice accommodation is especially wanted. Theyare much more attracted by holiday camps.

2.21 Two thirds of members had children at home. The extreme group, aged 16-34, withyoung children represent l89o of union mcmbers. These families are much moreconcerned with money, work long hours with more overtime and are less likely to haveboth pareints working. Fewer (75qo) are able to take all their holiday entitlement or to goaway (59qo went away).

2.22 There may be some way of giving differential help to these families by way of holiday?ayments related to numbers of children. There is also reason to give consideration tounion run holiday camps (although they are not as popular as hotels overall) and topublicise holidays in Britain that are particularly suitable for children.

2.23 The possession of children is a stronger diflerentiator of need than income in many ofthe findings. Poor holiday entitlement naturally goes with poor income, but there wasno evidence that their need for holidays in relation to pay is any different from that ofother mcmbers.

2.24 The older members obviously have different attitudes in that they treat holidays more asa reliel from the pr€ssure of work and more to be planned and talked about, There isno evidence of particular needs on holiday that are difrerent from those of union m€mbersgenerally. They are interested in union hotels more than the other gToups.

Recommendatlons for Furthcr Actlon

The findings of the report, together with evidence collected from other sources, havQformed the basis for the proposals below which are iotended as guidance for ways inwhich these wage-earners who do not at preselrt take a holiday away from home mightbe enabled to do so.

Holiday Entltlements

glqo of respondents in the survey felt that there should be a minimum holiday entitle-ment, and 649o of these considered this should be four weeks or more.

Trade Union members of the Group suggest that there should be an investigation into

thc possibil i ty of haring a minimurn entit lement incorporated into the collective bar-gaining strategy of Unions. This should be considered in rclation to the EEC proposalsthat there should be a minimum standard of four weeks'annual paid holiday to beintroduced by 3l December 1978 (this measure to have no detrimental effect on holidavpa)).

Holiday Pay

Nloncl undoubtedly being of fundamental importance on holidays, it is particularlysignincant that only l590 of the workers covered in the sur\ ey receive average earningsduring this period, as nranl as 659o being on basic pa1,. Whilst there was no noticeabledissatisfaction $ith holiday pa] arrangements per se, f inance was noted as a constraint toholida] taking (43qo not going said they could not aflord it), and having plenty of money1o spend on Iroliday was rated b) respondcnts as ver) important. Money was the particularr oncern o l those \ i th loung fami l ies .

I rade Union members of the Group suggest, therefore, that the first aim should be toaclrieve for all wage-eamels their average earnings and that this aim should beincorporated into the collective bargaining strategy of unions, and that futther evidenceof foreign practice should be sought with a \l 'ew to a lon€!-term aim of an extrapercentage being added to holiday pay.

Rolc of Unions in Provision of and Inlormrtion about Holidays

A m.rior Lroint emerging from the sur\c) was the l inlited attraction for wage-earners ofany suggestion that unions and/or employers should provide facil i t ies.

As opposed to the European practice where Trade Unions and employers have been inthe cLrstom of pro\ iding holiday accornnodation, this concept has never been extensivelyder eloped in Britain.

I l 're Group con-\ideled that this was because a wide range of low-cost facil i t ies exist inBritain, in holidal camps, cara\an and camping facil i t ics. grLcst and boarding-houses.nd the rapidly increasing numbcr of self-catering accommodation units. Also, a great

manl holiday makers stay with friends and relatives.

I hese types of irccommodation are not as widespread on the continent, and hence therehas bcen a greater role for rrl ions and employers in thc provision of low cost facil i t ies.

It is clcar that there are two areas wherc there is a need for positive action:

(a) information about holidays a!ailablc(h) the specialneeC for low-cost holidals for young families and one-parent families.

ln rclation to both points, the Group recommend that the trade unions should publishinformation about the types of holidays available, ensuring that this information isgeared to the pi,rrt icular necds of \\ 'age-earners, riz. inclusion of low-cost accommodation.'fhjs information could be provided hy the Tourist Boards whose r€sponsibility it is tocollcct, compile and publish infornation about all types of holiday available. The unionjournals would be the natural vehicie for such information but the Unions shouldconsider prodrrcing holiday brochures which also make it clear how the holidaysadvertised may be purc.hased.

I)articularlJ, in relation to the second point, the Group feels that the possibil i ty shouldbe explorecl of Unions adopting more extensively the idea of the Union Travel Club.I l l is Club has recently bcen cstablished as a branch oi Pickfords, and entit les membersof three unions to purchase holidals at 59o-109o below the normal retail cost.

The Group irlso recommends that Unions look at the possibility of organising travel fortheir members. This would not be a new concept; Thomas Cook began by chaltedngtr4ins to bring supporters to temperance meeting! Galleon World Travel, fomrerly theworkers T.avel Association, irlso stirrted by providing travel facilities for the lower-paid.

2.26

2.2',1

l0

;";ffii .""".:'i1l1ffi::;Jl-'1! 1.": l..'ansed packase hoJidays ror their members, andfeducing holiday co.,, ,o.,n"i i l l l i . ' , t l

unions could make positive steps towaJstooting., or ul"on,'-;;;;;;'j:L:T.t*'r

the Group envisases, ror example, blockdomestic holida],s on,hi, burilno

*"n tarricrs There would be cttnsideratle'scope fors, and it could be a self_tiquidating operarron.

4 Saye-As-you_Earn

l-he Croup feels that prioritv shouid,lie with achievitg the first and second recommen_dations. should these objectir es.not be.r"".h"d, h";;;;;, j;,iJsigl"rr.a tr,ut group, ,u"r,::r'."Jf,i"il":::X*ff+il"-1."',:1;1"#""rd b. ."b,,;;i;;ii; uii"a ,r,-uer, *rrtr,.rp

.'

i ;fi,ff:l fft:.t tJ*;i";:::"t "'cheme administered bv a ' third partv'asencv

Concluslons

2.26 Acceptance itI]d iInplcmentatr.cindemand r".i"".lii],i,r,ii.,"rlliT::,..T:"i:.::iifJ:j"l..T:nfff:i;il,."""1"trons of this for rhe tourist indrjstry ha\c "_ ,", t"", i"ff, i""". i i !u,.d, Uu, ru.,fr".stud),of the , 'uppl], aspect is a necessary aalrr"t ," irr" p."p"r"ir ri in* *.0".,.

2.27 The l ou rjst Boards wil l need to.estinate the l ikely increase in demand, and assess thedegree to which this is matchedrnarket gro*.th co, ru .;il:; :;." J:Tf, jllHXl'?ffi :#:,rff 'i*11 i::lllJ"f ;*,

already available; o, it may be n^ecessary to recommenl and encourage partrcutar typesof tou st development to cater for what ",r,,lo pot"ntiu-til i.l'iiirl..otr" g.o*tt inthe domestic holiday market.

l l

Several Scottish Trades Councils have arranged package holidays for their members, andit would seem that this is an area in which Unions could make positive steps towardsreducing holiday costs for their members: the Group envisages, for example, blockbookings of accommodation aod with carriers. There would be considerable scope fordomestic holidays on this basis, and it could be a selfliquidating operation

Ssva-As-You-Esrn

The Group feels that pdority should lie with achieving the first and second recommen-dations. Should these objecti\'cs not be reached, however, it is suggested that groups suchas young parents and one-pareot families could be substantially aided through self-helpschemes such as Save-As-You-Earn scheme.

The Group would prefer to see such a scheme administered by a' third party' agencyrather than unions or employers.

Concluslons

2.26 Acceptance and implementation of these proposals could lead to a considerable increasein demand for tourist facil i t ics in this country, espccially accomnodation; the implica-tions of this for the toudst industr) havc not yet been lully investigated, but furthcrstud) of the sunply aspect is a necessary adjunct to the proposals in this Report.

2.27 The Tourist Boarcls wil l need to estinate the l ikely increase in demand, and assess thedegree to which this is matched by existing types and capacity of facilities. It may be thatmarket growth could readil) be absorbed by improving information about facilitiesalready available; or it may be necessary to recommend and encourage particular typesof tourist development to cater for what could potentially be a considerable growth inthe domestic holiday market.

l l

Part B: Socially Disadvantaged

III Evaluation of Holidavs

Since 6190 of all British adults take at least one holiday a year, and holidays seem to takepriority over some other items ol discretionary expenditure, their general value wouldappear to be self-€vident.

Their importance is borne out by the results of the research conducted into the holidayneeds and expectations of wage earners, outlined in Section II. This showed that holidaysar€ treated morc as a necessity than a luxury and represent an essential , break ,.

That a holiday can be oi special value to the disadvantaged is partially illustrated by thepowers and duties embodied in legislation and enabling Local Authorities to assist theelderly and the disabled to take holidays. Likewise there are many voluntary associa-tions which alone, or in conjunction with Local Authorities, assist the deprived, elderlyand disabled to take a break away from home.

3.4 I'he Group a$eed that their own commitment to the medical and social value of holidaysshould be reinforced by a survcy of Local Authorities and case study work by thosemembers whose work bdngs them into contact with the disadvantaged.

3.5 Whilst many elderly and some handicapped people can take advantage of special lowcost holidays provided by a numbe! of tour operators, it was felt that a qualitativeassessment could most usefully be made by identifying the benefits to the recipienls ofassisted holida,s, where there is personal contact between the social or voluntary workerand the client, and those who provide the holidays have a more than commercial interestin its value to the person assisted.

3.6 As part of the survey on subsidised holidays carried out by the Research Unit of theEnglish Tourist Board among Directors of Social Services in the London Boroughs,rrespondents were asked: 'What benefits do the recipients and their relatives derivefrorn the provision of subsidised holidays?'

3.7 Vidually every Borough str€ssed the importance of givitrg reliel to caring relatires. Forexample, it was claimed that " these holidays provide an essential break for parents,spouses, and other relatives and friends, rrho have to carry long-term burdens ofemotional, mental, and physical stress." Relatives are enabled to make their ownindependent holiday arlangements, and thereby given a further incentive to continueca ng for their elderly or disabled dependants. If tensions exist within a family, these canbe eased by the provision of a holiday. lt may help to prevent or delay the admission ofthe client to long-term residential care. Whilst most holiday schemes help relatives caringfor the elderly and disabled, some schemes also enable mothers to have a break fromcaring for children in stressful circumstances.

3.8 In respect of their c1lenrs, over half of the Boroughs referred to the benelits of socralmiring and a change ol enrironment. T he importance of social mixing to the disabled ishighlighted by the following comment that " participating in organised activities, coachtours, games, shopping expeditions, re-discovering or even discovering talents in themany spheres of normal living, not the least of which are the new friends and friendshipscultivated, leads the disabled person to accept, as Jack Ashley MP has put it,'abnormality as normality'." More specifically, " the factor of seeing that others arefar more seriously disabled yet ale able to do more is often challenging and the paticntaims for more ability over disability." Additionally, holidays permit the handicappedto get in touch \ryith people having similar disabilities. Another important aspect whichrelates palticularly to elderly women, is that a holiday " gives those who live alone theoppodunity to meet in a congenial atmosphere, and many friendships are created." Onerespondent suggested that there was a possibility, through careful booking and matching,of creating self-help friendships of lasting value. Another commented that theredeveloped a greater iriendship not only between clients but also between clients andvolunteers who visit after the holiday has ended. Not least, holidays serve as a topic ofconversation both prior to and after the holiday.

1 Sec App€ndix ? for deta;ls.

3 . 3

12

3.9 A change of environment is particularly impoltant for the housebound and those withrestricted mobility who are normally confined to a narrow routine, and whose horizonis limited to what cao be seen from their own window. The relief from boredom and abroadening oi experience is probabiy more deeply felt than amongst normal holiday_makers. The change of environment is also associated, if temporarily, with a sense ofindependence for the client away from caring relatives. It ma],e\en tead some to sainmore confidence in their own abilities.

3 10 over two{lrirds of the Boroughs thought that there we re medicar benerits to be derivedfrom the provision of subsidised horidays. Most considered that holidavs were beneficialfor recuperative and therapeutic reasons, but there was a cautiousness about claimingany more than this. There were some sceptical remarks, for example, ., as far as I amaware there is no evidence to suggest medicat benefits are derived from holidays,although no doubt in the broad sense there may be therapeutic benefits." On the otherhand, some respondents were more positive:" The change ol scenery, thc change ol diet, the changc ol compan)), lrcs an enormoustherapeutic value, not onl! phjticall! but mantall! alro. Depressive states are eased.,," Ol great therapeutic value il holiday venue is carelully chosen lor each type oldisability."

3.11 Recuperative holidays are prescribed after illness as it is thought that recovery will bemore speedy than if the patient remains at home. The rest, fresh air, exercise, good food,and change of environment are thought to be important ingredients aiding recovery.A holiday is claimed to be particularly beneficial for people who have suffcred apsychiatric b.eakdown.

3.12 A less tangible benent is the prevention of i l lness, including psychiatric breakdown.There might be a delay in application lor residential care if a holiday boost is given.Two specific points mentioned were that on occasion there will be special provision ofmedical care facilities at holiday homes, and that nu6ing staff could .. uncover "conditions that need long-term medical care or treatment.

3. l3 Finally, there is a financial benefit as many clients are very poor and would not otherwiscbe able to affo.d a holiday, and, also, a few respondents mentioned that holidays enablesome recipients to ha.ve a change ot' diet and betrcr food.

3.14 The value of holidays in the terms described by respondents in the opinion survey isconfirmed by members of the Group who work with the disadvantaged. AII agreed thatin their experience holidays can be enormously important in relieving stressfulsituations whether within the family or in places of residential ca.e. The anticipationand looking back were almost as valuablc as the holiday itself, and a break such as thiscould be regarded as a most useful form of . preventive medicine '.

3.15 Some of the most vivid examples of the value of holidays have been provided by thedisadvantaged themselves. Case study work among the elderly, physically and mentally,handicapped and one-parent families showed the diferent ways in which these peoplecould benefit from a break, and in some cases pjnpointed the special problems whichcan arise from ,o/ having a holiday.

3.16 The Elderly

(i) Mrs A participated in a small group holiday staying in a private hotel at the seaside.She paid t7 and made her own transport arrangements. The total accommodationcharge was t16.50 + VAT and the balance was met by the local council. Mrs A neededa ground floor room because of dimculties associated with swollen legs. She felt she had

lbenefittedphysically.sociallyandnenta yfromtheholiday.perhapsthemostimportantrbenent isshownf romthefac t tha t l ,4 rsAwasrecent lyw idowed, l i v ing a lone and had

I l i t t le contact with the outside world. Since rcturning from the hol iday she has regularlyI attended a luncheon club and is beginning to takc a new interest in l i fe.

( i i ) Ntrs B (aged 72 years) l ives alonc and part icipated iD an assisted seaside hol idayorganised b] ' the local counci l . She paid f5 which is about I i /6 of thc actual cost. Withoutthis hol iday she would ha\e staled at home. Also she would not l ike to hol iday alone:through this schen1e she was able to hol iday with a fr iend. She thoroughly enjoyed theholiday and returned fecl ing able to ' face the winter ' . At home Mrs B cooks her ownmeals and does her own house$,ork and she would put an assisted hol iday high up in hcrpriori t ies.

( i i i ) Miss C had a hol iday through an Age Concern organised scheme staying at a seasideholida.v home that catered entirely for the Ionely and mainly housebound elderly. Thecost was f16.50 x and the whole amount was paid by Miss C. No special faci l i t ies wereneeded and there was door to door transoort in a mini-bus. the cost ol which wasincluded in the I16.50. She benefi t ted greatly from her hol iday, mainly from the personalattention and fr iendship she obtained. The fact of ha!ing a pot of tea brought to herearly each morning uas a l i t t lc luxury she had not cxpected. This ras hcr f i rst hol idayand fol lo\r ' ing i t she wrotc to the Organiser saying she hopes to have many more. t lerhealth visi tor told the Organiser that she had benefi t ted greatly frorn the hol iday.

( ir ' ) Mr" O ,u*.0 tn tears). One week seaside hol iday (out-of-season) made avai lablethrough an Age Concern orgirnisation; cost per person f3 inclusive of coach to hol iday,ful l board and accommodation and three excursions during the week; special faci l i t ieswere not needed. Mrs D thought the most beneficial aspects of the hol iday werecompanionship, goocl food, being able to go/ 'do what shc l iked and having doo. to doortransport which presented no \\ ,o.r ics, for exanrple, coping with Iuggage.

3.17 The Handicapped

\l iss D.. . (68)-ankylosing spondyl i t is i mastectorny 1973

This patient is hoLrse-bound except for attending a Day Centre about twice a l teek. Shelast had a hol iday in !959 and whcn seen in 1975 the Radiotherapy Department askedif she could go again. This was arranged at Lulwo.th Coutt in coniunction with the

Local Authority services.

Bccause of her disabi l i ty Miss D . . . requi.ed special transport, supported on medicalgrounds by the doctor, and a grant from the NSCR I was obtained to cover the cost

of transport arranged by St. John's Ambulance. Miss D . - . appeared to dcrive great

benefi t from the hol idal 'and was much encouraged by the fact that thc staff at the Homcfound that she could clo more for herself than most of thc hol iday makers there. Thisgavc her morale a great bor)st and emphasiscd the importancc of arranging a break from

hcr very sol i tary l i fe from t ime to t ime.

Mr W . . . (54)--ccrebral tumour, Nlarried lrith two childrel, aged l9 and l0 t. ears

Mr W . . . is very disabled, housebound and leads a r lheel-chair existence. His u' i fe is

under great strain not only because oi his mental and physical condit ion but also because

th eir housing is so bad. Every effort is being made to expedite rehousing but nothing

has been oflered so far. Mr W . . . attends a day centre weekly but thc hol iday is mainly

requircd to give him and his wilc and faf i i ly a break, part icularly his wife as she is

under such constant strain. Applications to sone hol idal homes ha|e heen rcfused

bccau\e of his condit ion and i t may be that appi icat ion rvi l l have to bc madc to a nursing

home which could later become a long stay placen]ent for lr im.

Ntiss B.. . (27)-Mult iple Sclelosis

Miss B . . . has had a prolonged period of treatment in hospital and i t \ \ 'as felt that a

break of some kind was of great importancc to her and that t l t is should, i f possible, bc

urranged during the Christmas period. r\rrangements were made for her and a fr iend to

r lhc Orsaniser of this schenc poinlcd out thcre is vcr) seldonr direct cash assistance l l is i tconccslionafl holidar- bI cosling of contract hotels and coaches on cosl basis \ith no elcmclrt fofadminislrat ion or postascs. 1rlvel clc. I1 is esl im.rtcd that this gi les an' unofl icial 'subsidy of aboulI I <0 l . ' (3ch hn l i JJ !

, Nat iona l Soc ic l ) fo f Cancef Rc l ie l .l 4

stay at a hotcl in Central London for a Ie\\ nights and this was f inanced by theSamaritan Fund of thc hospital as the plan \\ ,as strongly supporterJ by the meclical staff .' fhe

hotel \ras prepared to cater for disabled people, provicl ing room service i f neccssarl. ,and placjng patients in rooms with easl access to lounge, restaurant etc. Thcy alsoensured that the patients wheel-chair would f i t into the bathroom ctc

' l hese examples of I lol idals planned for paticnts of a London Teaching Hospital gire

some idea both of the lariet lr ol problems and of medical condit ions which can makeholida) s dif f icult to arrange: and of the part icular I alrre rvhich a hol iday can havc forpeop l c w l t u l i r e i n \ e r ] d i f f i cu l t t i r c r rm . ran .e r .

3.18 Onc.Parcrrt Famil ics

A nunrbcr of one-parent famjl ies wer.e asked \\hat thcy thought were the benefi ts of irhol ida)'and wh] they needed one. Rcsponse i l tcludcd the fol lo$ing:'' Il wc wcrc git cn tlrc privilege of a lnlidar-, I lcel there would be less all rounrl pressurcA nowing tlnt there is alwo\r a ltoliday to look fonvar.l to. For most onc-parent lamilicsrhc bcntlit ol a holitla) is tqLtallj important.rt th.tt ol ath?r benelits' ' I [ccl that wit]1 th( (t t t-a strain al bt ing a ona par(,nt lamil)) th( ne(u t()r somc sorr,, t prt. , \ t tr , r t l i , .r , r i .r r :vnriul

'

'' M1 dctttgltrrr nr:ctls ()nc morc tltun m( btcausc al! tht, otht,r <.ltildren gct on holitlay antl

she aloesn't ".

'' I can't alJord to tokc rintt off work t(, !:() arNa! bul I s(ntl my son. It woultl bt nicc ilrrc co kl go t()!elhrt ".

'' Ouf l1(lidar bJ'the sr:a tnutle us all lcel rnuch bc .r in ltloltlt. (.)n its own rrrcrr monct

ot bettcr social scrr ' ic(s couldn't do thit ".

'' A n increare in bcttt li r s u ottl tl .qo on t'ootl ant! t kt thes and t his mi glt not do as n uchgood as a holirlot'. Il I llad tllc.loice I'd want to girc nr f amily a holitlay and wc coult{face thc coming var nrtrc cltter!r lt ".

3.19 On the basi( of the opin ions \ oiced bythe local authorit ies contacted in the survey,members of voluntary associat ions and by the disadvantaged the'rseh es, the G roupagreed there were clearl l special bcnefi ts to be derived from hol iday.s for people I ir ingin dif f i cult circumstanccs.

3.20 fhe valuc of hol idals within thc contcr(t of social tourism can also be seen in terms ofthe benefi ts to locir l authori l ies and to thc National Flerl th Scr\ ice: respondents in thesurrcy of l .ondon Boroughs $,ere askcd whil t the), thought these were.

3 .21 The be ne f l t \ t o l oca l au t ho r i t i es o l p ro \ i d i ngsubs i c l i sed l l o t i da ! sha \eDo tbcencos ted ,quanti f ied, or specif ic.t l l l ,evaluirted so that the repl ies tt i tve bccn to a largc cxtentsubjecti \ e. Only four respondents \rent so far as to sal that the benefi ts to thc localauthority were ' nonc ' or ' ni l ' . One respondent cave an cxantple of the high cost ofhol ida) accontnlodation in that thc " Cl lub " hol idal home gross cost L.cr N.eek is f ,90 lcss{20 subsidy from the club-net cost to local aurhorit t of f70 weekly. Unsubsidisedholidays can amount to f90 !100 weekly i f the degree of care requircd is such. . . ." A fc$rcspondents impliccl that the benefi ts were both intangiblc irnd small .

3 .22 Nca r l y two th i r dso l . i l l r c s f ron ( l cn t s t hough t t ha t subs id i sed ho l i ( l a l shc lpcd t op re \ cn tor dela) admittancc to lonq-tcnn residential carc, which is more costlJ,than supporringpeople in their homes. I his is mainly due to thc encouragement gl\ en to relat ives tocontinue ca.ing for their dcpcndents, but hol idals mal also strengthcn the resolve andabil i t) .of the elderl ! or handicapped to carry cn within their famil l circle or l iv ingalone. Some who work are able to carry on with their emplo]ment u, i thout l breakdo\\n.Extra short term admissions to residential homes arc made possjble due to posit ions

t5

being vacated by those going on holiday. This also enables relatives to take a holiday.In addition to the elderly and handicapped, there is the prevention of children beingreceived into care or apf,eadng before Juvenile Courts.

3.23 The other main benefit to the local authorities is the respite given to Day Centres, homehelp, and meal services whilst the beneficiaries are away on holiday. There may also beless lecourse to domiciliary services as a result of improvements following the takingof a holiday.

3.24 The respondents were ob\ iously not able to comment on behalf of Area HealthAuthorities, but about a third of respondents did make some remarks. The mainbenefits to the National Health Service were thought to be that GP's, home nurses, andhospital day centres were relieved whilst the handicapped and elderly are on holiday,and that improvements in health reduce the number of visits to GP's and the number ofsubmissions to hospital. Two more specific comments wcre that the holiday schemesprovide the GP with an additional resource which he r'.ay find particularly helpful whendealing with such matten as depressive illness, and that there is some relief on hospitalbeds which would be used for social rather than medical reasons if holiday provision wasnot available.

3.25 one member of the Group also submitted comments from members of staff of hospitals,homes and hostels for mentally and physically handicapped patients and residents, forwhom holidays had been arranged with strikingly good results. Holidays had added tothe richness of life for those in residential care and an improvement in relationshipsbetween staff and patients had often resulted. They had widened the interests of thoseof limited activity and had also provided an incentive to many to keep active. It washoped that the introduction of such holiday schemes would spread. The problems ofarranging and financing such holidays were in most respects similar to those of thehandicapped not in residential care.

3.26 To summarise, holidays for the disadvantaged in many ways differ from conventionalholidays, since the clients are able to enjoy many facilities denied to them in day-todaylife, such as company, mobility, good food and comfort. Holidays may be a means ofbringing to these groups of people some degree of rchabilitation, therapy and socialinteraction. Holidays may provide reliel for the individual's relatives or friends And aholiday can be one way of uncovedng the need for existing or new health and welfareservrces.

t 5

IV Level of need for Assisted Holidavs

4.I The Lrnder-privileged or disadvantaged has been tiken to include those people who byvidue of their current situation are undergoing personal problems (e.g. physical,psychological or financial) which may result in their expedencing considerable socialdifficulties in particifating in existing leisure opportuniiies, and f-or whom it can beargued specialist provision is required. on the basis of this the Group considered th.rtthere were iour main groups who may need assistance to take holidavs:-the elderly-the handicapped

-one-parent families-low-paid workers with young families

Other groups who may benefit from holiday assistance are the unemployed and relativesand friends who may need relief from long_term caring for the elderly or sick. Thelatter group would no1 necessarily need assistance to take a holiday, but would be ableto make independent arrangements if their dependents were helped to do so.

4.2 The four groups are not mutually exclusive of one another; many elderly people arealso handicapped and less mobile. Many one-parent families are often likely to below-paid because of their situation. These latter groups were considered largely in termsof enabling the children to have a holiday, preferably with their parents. This would inone sense allow them to henefit as other children, additionally enabling their parents tobe relieved from stressful and depressive situations.

4.3 Some indicators of the potential dernand for subsidised holidays by the physicaliy andsocially deprived are depicted in Appendices 3 to 10.

4.4 The Elderly

In 1974-75,7I9o of subsidised holidays in England were given to people aged 65 andabove. Between 1963 and 1974 the number of people receiving national insuranceretirement pensions in Great Britain increased by 32go from 5,990,000 to 7,920,000 andof these the number receiving supplementary pensions increased by 53yo fromI,100,000 to 1,680,000. It has been forecast by the Government that the elderly (definedas women aged 60 and over and men aged 65 and over) as a propofiion of the populationof the UK will increase from t6.490in 1974 to t7.4qo in l98l,andthatthoseagedT5and over will increase from 4.8qo to 5.6qo.r A noticeable feature of the provision ofsubsidised holidays is the priority given to isolated people. The proportion of womenaged 60 and over living alone rose from l5.6qo in l95I to 27.4qo jn 19? l_in that year thetotal number of elderly men and women living alone was 2,39g,000 of which 1.846.000were women (77qo). However, it must be reiterated that there is no ciose connectionbetween the number or proportion of elderly peopte in a local authority area, and theapparent need to provide subsidised holidays.

4.5 The Ilandicapped

The total number of people registered as substantially or permanently disabled inEngland stood at 765,700 in 1974-7 5.'lhere was a large increase in 1974,25, whichreflected a change in the registering system from medical diagnosis to social workerassessment. At March 1975 140,000 people were registered as blind or partially sighted,46,000 as deaf or hard of hearing, and 579,000 were registered in the general classes ofhandicapped. It is now necessary to classify the general classes by degree of disability.So far, 229p have been classified, and of these 127o are registered as very severelyhandicapped, 4670 as appreciably handicapped, and 429o as" others ".

4.6 The extcnt of the most severely deprived amongst the elderly and handicapped is tosome degree indicated by the number of people receiving various local authority orvoluntary services, For example, in England and Wales in 1974 there were 136,000residents in local authority or voluntary organisation accommodation for the elderly

1 Social Trends. Omce of Population Censures and Sufveys, 1976.

t 7

rnd lrlrndicapped, -596,000 people recei\ing home help, and 181,000 people receivingmeals on wheels. These numbers have all increased a lot over the last ten years,reflccting changjng st.rndards of provision more than increasing need.

4.7 Bccause of inproved mcthods of counting o. registering peoDle in need of support bydomiciliary social serlicc and becar,rse of inproved standards of care-both of whicharise from incrcased public intcrcst-it is difficult to deduce from past trends whatchange there nright be in future needs of such people. Population and related socialtrends wil l Drobably increasc the number.s in necd, while improved pensions, disabil it,vi lnd other allowances, and carnlngs \r ' i l l decreasc numbers.

4.8 Thc appeal of a subsidiscd holiday to thc disabled is indicated by a survey into the needsof handicapped and elderly persons carried out by Oldham County Borough Council in1972-73 (onll eight local authorit ies exceeded Oldham's expenditure on holidays per

1,000 population in 1974-75). 3,648 disabled people Nerc asked to indicate which of arange of serviccs thc] were interested in, and the most popular request was for a holidaywith 3690 of all chronically sick and disabled persons interested in this, including 4l9oof the severcly disabled. This compares with l79o requcsting a friendly visitor, l27orequesting a mobile l ibrary, and 5qo requesting short stay residential accommodation.

4.9 One-Parent Families

t here are o\ er 650,000 one-parcnt families with dependent children, amounting in all

to nearly two mill ion people.'1

Such families can expcricnce considcrable diff iculties, both financiall) and socially,

whether the parent is unnlar ed, divorced, separated or widowed. In additiol there are

othcr one-parent familit ics rcsulting fronl one partncr being in hospital or prison. The

cffects of having to maintain a honre and bring up the child, or children, single-handed

under any of the above conditions can produce considerable psychological, as wcll asphysical and financi!l hardships for the person concelned.

4. l0 Figures de ved lrom the Omce of Population Censuses and Surveys 1 illustrat€ the

difference in the number of holidals taken by lone parents and their children compared

with two-parent families:

Table l:Comparison of the number o[ holida]s taken by onc and two'parent families

Parcnfs

Never had a hol iday

Lone Parenls

171o

Married Mothers a

77o

621oHoliday within last l car 389o

Chilrlren Al! one'partnt Fatherless Motherless Tteo-porent

chiltlren chil(lrcn children childrcn

Never had aholiday 324o 369o 237o 207o

Holiday withinlast year 417a 434tt 50a/o 629o

4.l l In terms of the numbers of one-parent families unable to take a holiday 783,000 parents

and children were dependent on SupPlementary Benent in Novemb€r 1974 and are

cxtremely unlikely to be able to take a holiday. ln addition therc are 45,000 one-parent

families living below the tax threshold who do not claim Supplementary Benefit or

Iramily Income SuPPlement.

I DHSS esl in la le for 197i .I ' Fami l ies and th€ir Needs' , A. Hun! cr a l . HMSO. lgTla Two-parenl farni l ies. molher onl ,v inter ! ic$ed

1 8

Low-Paid Workers wit lr Young Famil ies

4.12 Of the 9.5 nri l l ion famil ies with chi ldren o\ er half had a gross income of less thanf1,500 in 1971. Tourism survel.s of that datc indicated that at this income level thefrequency of non-hol iday taking increased sharply, from about onc_cightlr of famil iesearning over t1,-500 to about o.e-third of those earning lcss, so t l tat i t \ i ,as at this incomele!cl that a major constraint on hol iday taktng exists.

Although income levels hare increased since that date i t is l ikely that the samepropo.t ions of people nlay be alfected, and on this basis there may be between I and l+nri l l ion famil ies in this category who are in need of hol iday assistance. As a furtherindicator in November 1974 there were 33,000 two-parent famil ies and 39,000 one-parent famil ies in receipt of Family Income Supplement. The numbers of chi ldrenin volved were I 04,000 and 64,000 respectively.

19

5 . 1

5.2

V Current provision of Low-cost andAssisted Holidays

A Locsl Authority Holldays

Legislative Brckground

Tho Hsndlcrpped

Until the National Assistance Acl ol 194r, serlices to all handicapped, except some forthe blind, were provided almost entirely by voluntary bodies. The 1948 Act gave localauthorities power to make arrangements for promoting the welfare of the blind, deafand dumb and the handicapped. Among the services they were empowered to providewere recreational facilities in the home or elsewhere.

A circular issued by the then Ministry of Health in | 951 r offered guidelines fordevelopment of services and authorities were asked to submit schemes for approval. Italso suggested that for the b€nefit of the handicapped the work of voluntary organisations(whose services on an agency basis could be used by local authorities under Section 30of the 1948 Act). should be co-ordinated and directed in close co-opemtion with Healthand Welfare departments.

5.3 By 1960, the number of local authorities without approved holiday schemes for thehandicapped was small, and a circular issued in that year required that provision of suchservices should be made general.'

5.4 In 1970, with the Chronicatl! Sick and Disabled Persons,4ct, local authorities were for

the nrst time statutorily obliged to provide holidays for the handicapped. They are now

required to assess the need of the handicapped for welfare services, specifically including

holidays, and to make provision as they deem necessary

5.5 The Elderly

Under Section 31 of the National Assistance Act local authorities were empowered to

make contributions to the funds of any voluntary organisations whose activities consisted

of or included the provision of recreation or meals for elderly people

5.6 This power was extended under the National Assistance Act 1948 (Amendment) Act

1962, allowing authorities to make arrangcments " for providing meals and recreation

for old people in their homes or elsewhere " and to employ suitable voluntary

associations as their agents.

5.? It was not until the Health Seyices and Public Health Ac1 1968 that local autho ties

were given specific powers to provide welfare se ices for the elderly'

5.8 Children

With the C hildrc n and Y oung P ersons Ac I ol 1963 loc^l atJthorities were empowered to

promote the welfare of children, so as to diminish the need to take them into care'

5.9 Naaional Health Services Aca 1946

This legislation empowered local authorities to pro\ide recuperative holidays for those

who do not need nursing care, such as people recovering from psychiatric illness'

5.10 To ascertain what other factors have contributed toward local authorities' holiday

provision London Boroughs were asked in the opinion survey: " what reasons' apart

irom the provision (for the handicapped) in the 1970 Chronically Sick and Disabled

Persons Act prompted your local authority to provide subsidised holidays?"

20

5. I I It is clear from the replies receivcd that many London Boroughs have been helping theelderly and handicapped with holidays since long before I970. For exampte, Westminsteracquircd the nrst hol iday home for the elderl l . in 1949. The Inner London Boroughsthat made up the lormer London Count).Council .lt an early stage established a traditionof helping the elderly and this tradition has sr'nce been built uponl Its strength is perhapsi l lustrated by the fol lowing comments:'' The Chntnicalls Sick antl Di.|abkd pcrsons Act lg70 in m)) view plqJed no part inalr..id )) enlightcncd auIhotities ".

'' Tht (:oun.il ha: alv.,ctl,s providttl ltolidarr jor tlte tltlt,rlt,. . ..,,

5.I2 Other Motivating Factors

Apart from the lcgislation which has been outlined above, some Boroughs have beenprompted to provide holidays by the initiatives of local voluntary orgarisations. Therewas one case, for example, of a Borough stading a service as a result of a survey carriedout in 1959 which found that 25qo of thc disabled people attending a special day centrehad not had a holiday for six years or morc. In consequence, a holiday senice for thedisabled was started in 1960 within the permissive legislation of Sectron 29 ol the l94gNational Assistance Act.

5.13 Reasons of a subjective nature were also put forward as having a role in prompting localauthodty provision. These are, understandably, closely rerated to the benefits describedin Section III. Most ccmmonly it was argued that the provision of subsidised holidayshas a preventive function. It was, for example, thought that holidays.

| " hetped to kecp actiye elde ! actir,( ,,

1 - " provicled companionship and changed surroundings for those living alone and', tl1(relor. contributed to better mental hcalth in okl age ,'

., " made a u.tef ulcontribution to the mainte a ce of health and mobility ol theelderly ".

5.14 Othcr rcasons included:

-, ' thc inability ol rclativts t., cop( t+,ith handicapperl persons, eeds outside ol theirht)tn( ent[ronment "

'' the majority of our clients wottltl not ba able to make their own arrangementsL.articularly as thq ormally need spLcial accomnodalion and trunsport',

- " to help thosc rNith a low income ".

-5.l5 Similar reasons were put Iorward by County Councils approached on behalf of theStudy Group by the Association of County Counciis. One Director of Social Services,for example, repl ied that:

" In g(neral the case lor holiday provision for the handicapped is made out on thef ollowing grountl.r:

(i) W ith()ut subsidj many woultl not be able to aflord a holirlay;

(ii) Without help, and the reassurance that the presencc ol staff anil escorts give, monl.trould find it impossible to go awa! f rom homL: or vould be inhibitcd f rcm so d.oing:

(iii) Holidoy arrangctn?nts provide o pleasurcbic anticipation: a leeling of satisfactionthat com?s lrcm an expcritncc.shared with atllct-s; end a toJ)ic ol conversation forrnonths afttnt'ards;

(ir) Grdtp holi.lals, parti.ularlJ, far tltc handicappccl, enable stalJ and clicnts tct acltievcmeaningful relalionshipt arul can be an important rehabilitative lactor."

I Ministry of Health Circular l2l51, " Welfare Services for thc Handicapped Persons othcr rhan Blindor Partially Sishted ".

1 Ministry of Health Circulnr lj/60, " Welfare Services for Mcnl0ll!- Disordered Pcrsons ard forHandicapped I'ersons ".

5.16 ln a survey of local authorit ies in Scotlirnd, carried out lor tbe Social lourism StudyGroup by the Scottish Tourist Board, the statutory origin of responsibility for subsidiscdholidays was identified in only one of thirty-one replies:" M:- Cctuncil leels that it lws a certain responsibilit) lot the provision ol subsidisedholidajs in orrler to carr! out its statutot! rcsponsibilities undu Section 12 ol lhe SocialWork (Scotland) Act 1968, and Section 2 ol the Chronicall! Sick and Disablcd Persons(Scotldnd) Act 1972 ".

5.17 Other authorit ies in Scotland ha\e developed policies which they consider reflect thep€rceiled social needs of t l ' teir areasi ior example:

'' Thc Authorit)t assists in the prcrjsion of holitlals as Part of its oterall str.tteSl toimprove the qualiti ol lile ol those in nccd. Thc holidals are prorided lo meet theindividual needs of the client ",

" Etery endeavour is hade to meet a social heed ".

At the other extreme is the following observation:

" This Authoriti does not have an! scheme lor ptoviding or assisling in the provision

ol holidays for disadvantaged groups ol people ".

5.13 Thesc comments give an indication of the extent to which legislation has motivated local

authorities to make provision for subsidised holidays. Clearly there was felt to be a need

for this type of assistance quite some considerable time before it was made encumbent

upcn the authorities to give help to the handicapped: moreover a number of authoritigs

now appear to regard assisted holidays as part of an overall social policy rather than a

statutory obligation. Whilst on the one hand such spontaneous provision based on needsperceired by local authorities, rather than on legislative requirements confirms the value

of holidays, it may also have been one of the factors which has led to the wide variation

in the pattern of holiday provision; other lactors will be considered later in this section,

tcgether with suggestions lor action.

Type of Provision

5.19 There.tre four main ways by which local authorit ies provide holida)'s:

(i) pro\iding their own holiday accommodation, normally in the form of holiday homes,

specifically acquired for that purpose or by using a certain number of heds in normal

residential accommodation for holiday purposes;

(ii) using accommodation provided by r oluntary bodies or by using voluntary bodies

completely on an agency basis giving financial support;

(iii) using commercial organisations, usually for group holidays;

(iv) sponsoring individuals to take their own holiday.

'fhese groups may overlap in the sense that an authority might, for example, give

financial assistance to a voluntary body to organise a group holiday at a commercial

centle'butthesealethefourbroadcategoriesintowhichassistedholidaysfall.Detailsof the organisation of the dillerent schemes including the practical requirements are

detailed at Appendix I I in an extract from the Department of Health and Social

Security's study " Local Authority Holidays for the Elderly and Physically

Handicapped."

22

-; 10 I his studJ, carr ied out in r969, rbund that conrnrerci ir l accommodrt ion was rhe l 'ost$ idcl) ' Lt\ed method, csfccial ly hol iday cantps:

Table 2:Number of cl ients by tvpe of schcme and type of Local Authoritv 1969

LAHolidar

Hotrls &Volutttarl ('ommer- GuestCentres cial Camps Houses Other Total

I -ondon l loroughs

English Countyrnd Countyuorough Counci ls

WelshAuthorities

fotal number ofclients

Percentage olal l cl ients

l3,93 8

9,248

1 8 , r 8 6

327o

2,060

3,426

5,-5 8.',]

10%t

t1,l l6l

'1,365

614

16.8.10

3O7o

1l R1)

4,67 4

90

ll ,-586

247o

590 29,27 |

r ,981 26 ,694

2 803

2,5'13 56,76rJ

47o l0o9<t

Source: " Local Authorit) Hol ida)s lor the t lderly and the physical ly Handicapped ,,DHSS t 971.

5.21 Wello\er threc quarte6 of places in local authority homes were taken up by the elderly,who also took about three quarters of piaces provided in hotels and guest houses andhalf those in bol iday camps. In contrast most of the hol ida).s pro' ided in centres run bvvoluntary bodies were for the handicapDed.

'l'able 3:

Percentage of clierts oI dilferent groups for esch type of scheme, 1969

Peraenrcge an.l alient groul

I'hjsicallrHanclicapped Elderly Escorts Total s/o Total

'Iype of schemeusing LocalAuthorit! HolidayFIome

Voluntary Centres

Commercial Camps

Hotels & Bo4rdingHouses

Other commcrcialcenttes

Otherqa of total

r 3 .?4

7 r . 1 8

47.73

24.39

38.54

22.69

32.86

86.35

2t . '7 3

43.92

'7 3.28

5.73

73.98

6 3 . t 5

o .4 l

4.90

u. -15

2.1.'1

5 .73

4.01

100.00

100.00

100.00

r00.00

100.00

100.ff)

r 00.00

18,186

5,583

i 6,840

13,586

471

2,lo2

56,768

Sou.ce: "Local Authority Holidays for the Eldcrl) and the Physical ly Handicapped ",

I ) r rss. 1973.

23

5.22 Scale of Provision

The following paragnphs anaiysc the scale of provision of assisted holidays in terms of

numbers of people and expenditure. Close attentlon is given to the London Boroughs, togive guidance on what can be achie!ed through subsidised holidays where such

expenditure is given relatively high priority. The published sources used here cover

England and Wales; few attempts have becn made to quantify numbers benefitting from

such schemes in Scotland. Some indication is given by the results of the Scottish Tourist

Board survey (see APpendix l2).

5.23 Assisted holidays in England increased by 299o from 81,000 to 104,800 in the two years

from l97l'n b 1974-75. People receiving assistcd holidays from the Greater LondonBoroughs increased by 28qa from49,70O to 63,500 in the same pedod The London

figure accounted fot 6Cqo of all assisted holidays in England in 1974. By contrast, thepopulation of Greater London is 157o of the population ol England Estimates for

1975-76 indicate a slowing down in the rate of growth of expenditure on subsidised

holidays. Expenditure per 1,000 population was estimated to have increased by 16qo in

England and Wales in 1975 (l lqo in London) compared with ar.itcrease of 327o in 1974(307o in London).

5.24 The London Boroughs account for an even larger share of expenditure on subsidised

holidays, as results for 1974-?5 show that 6390 of expenditure bv all English AND Welsh

local authorities was by the London Boroughs. The latter spent an average of !233 per

1,000 population compared with !31 in the other Metropolitan Districts arldlfl6 in the

English and Welsh Counties. Expenditure per client in London, at about fzlin I974 is

over 50qo more than that of the Counties and 3-590 more than that of the Metropolltan

Districts (see Appendix l3).

5.25 Compared with other suppod services the London Boroughs spend appreciably more on

subsidised holidays than, for example, on adaptation to homcs or aids for the disabled,

whilst nevertheless still spending more per 1,000 population on adaptation and aids than

either the Counties or the Metropolitan Districts (see Appendix 14). In England as a

whole Local Authority expenditure on holidays increased betw eef' 1972-'73 and 197 3'7 4

at a faster growth rate than that for any other of the support services apart from

adaptatioos to homes for the disabled, and telephones.

5,26 In all England and wales, local authorities spcnt about two and a quarter millionpounds (in 1974) on subsidised holidays The London Boroughs spent one and a half

million pounds, of that total.

5.27 More than two-thirds of the London Boroughs have a population exceeding 200,000'

There are 27 Metropolitan Districts witll a population of over 200,000; none equalled

the spending average of the London lloroughs with the exception of Oldham (see

Appendix l5). Average expenditure per I '000 population for the Metropolitan Districts

was only !37 in 1974-75 compared with t233 for London The Metropolitan Distdcts

listed in Appendix l5 are probably the authorities that are most comparable with the

London Boroughs because of their population sizc and density, urban charactedstics,

and disproportionate sharc of cconomic and social deprivation. Outside London,

considedng local authorities of any size, only four spent over f,50 per 1,000 population

namely Oldham, Newcastle, Avon and Leeds.

5.28 The variation between the London Boroughs is very considerable This can be demon-

strated by comparing each Borough in terms of the numbcrs of people assisted as a 9o

of the total elderly and registered disabled (as in Appendix 16). However' such a

comparison cannot be taken as a measurc of unnlct need as there is a large element of

double-counting (nost of the disabled are clderll) ' many people do not need or want to

be assisted, and the degrec of deprivation rvill vary bctueen Boroughs (particularly

between the innet- and outer l-ondon Boroughs). For the ycar ending March 1975, old or

24

disablcd pcoplc gctting subsidised rr<-rridays r:rried from 2rgo in Tower Hamrets to underl7o in Sutton. The irverage for the London Boroughs was 5.6g0.

-5.29 Another comparison is in terms of pounds spent per 1,000 of Borough population. Thisis aflected both b] numbers assisted and by type of assistance, for example ownership ofa holiday home or the concentration of assistance on the physically handicappedsubstantially increascs cost. In order of expcnditure per 1,000 population 1as in Appendixl7) the Borough of HiIingdon. rvhich assists an average propoition of people, spends farabove average.

5.30 hither method oI comparison clearly shows that the inner London Boroughs give ahigher priority to subsidised i.oridays than the outer London Boroughs. This wouldappear to be related to thc 8r .iter relative deprivation of the inner London Boroughs,as there is no significant (lillcrcnce between the high spending and the low spendingboroughs in terms oi the proportion of eklerly and dis;bled p;ople l iving within eachborough.

5.31 The link rvith relative depriration is further indicated by an anall,sis of the expenditureon subsidised holidays by local authorit ics containing a high proportion of enumerationdistricts suffering from multiple denri\,ation. The Census of population data has beenused to isolate tlte small arcas u, it l t the greatcst concent.ation of a combination of socialills; high lercls of overcrowcling ancl nale unemplo),ment and lack of several basichousing amenities. Appendix l8 shows that the average expenditure per 1,000 populationof the 22 local urban authorities with 4qo or more of theit population living in multiply(lepdved enumeration districts was fl35 in 197-3 74 compaied with an averagecxpenditure of f,38 for all English and Welsh authorit ies. Eight of the au rorit ies wercl-ondon Boroughs, and togethcr they had on ur"rug" "*p"n,l iture per 1,000 populationof f325.

5.32 A stud) of thc chartctcristics of pcople who \rent on ltoli<1ays subsidised by the Boroughof Kensington and Chelsea (June 1974) showed that a disproportionate percentage(70-70) came f.om the relatively deprived North Area of the Borough compared withl6qo from the South Area and onl,v 4%; from the Ccntral Area.

5.33 Although most of the high spending Iocal authorit ies are at present under Labourcontrol, thcre is not necessorily a polit ical bias in holidal. expenditure as the Conscrvativecontrollcd Borough of Westminster is rankcd gth in terms of expenditurc per 1,000population in the Lon(lon Boroushs.

Priorit ies

Prioritie$ within Hotiday Schemes

5.34 In broad teflns the physically ancl mentally handicapped havc priority for subsidisedholidays in view of the statutory dut) imposed by the 1970 Chronically Sick and DisabledPersons Act. However, the scale and entphasis of the assistance given to the handicapped\,aries widely between Boroughs. Whiist some authorities try to give priority to the mostscverely handicapped, others tend to concentrate their assistance on the less severelyhandicapped because of the lower costs involved. Several Boroughs state that thehousebound or those who suffer from restricted mobility are given priority. The sameapplies to those who are in receipt of home help or are the concem oi a social worker.Social workers have historically been an important influence in initiating aDplicationsfor subsidised holidays, and this inffuence remains although people are now moreaware of their rigll ls in claiming a holiday. Onc important rcason for concentrating helpon the severely handicapped is the need to relieve caring relatives and prevent familybreak-uD.

25

5.35 Sq eral respondcnts echocd tlre remark that , ' thc substantially phlsically hantlicappedand hyper-acti\c mentally handicapped are usually given priority placement for thelimited number of voluntary society places available." The voluntary societies providethe specialised accomntodation that the handicapped need and which is not availabteelsewhere. The shortage of such accommodation has recently prompted a Borough tobuild a special boliday home in conjunctjon with a charity for providing holidays. Thcshortage and expense of accommodalion for the severely handicapDed means that muchof the total provision is given to the less severely handicapped, who also do not requireso much nursing care nor expensive means of transport such as coaches with hydraulicl ifts.

5.36 In respect of the elderly a " l irst come first served " policy would seem to apply inseveral Boroughs, but otherwise priority tends to be given to those who live alone, thosewho have not recently had a holiday, and those over a certain age, say 70 or 75. (Asurvey by the Kensington and Chelsea Council in 1973 discovered that 6-iqo ofthe activepensioners assisted with holidays in the Borough lived alone and 52qo were wjdowed).

5.37 A few Boroughs included the following groups in their list of priorities-peoplerecovering from illness, deprived children, one-parent families, children in care or atrisk of being taken into care, and residents in old people's homes.

5.38 thg 1."16 ot sr the past few yearu has been to widen the net of groups assisted, Forexample, one London Borough, between 1972 and 1975, has dropped its age limit forthe active elderly from 75 to 67, has started using homes run by voluntary organisations,and has begun helping the mentally disordered and children in care. However, thecullent financial stringency has caused ai least two Boroughs to draw up morerestrictive criteria for 1976 compared with 1975. The new criterja are set out below forthc two Boroughs-

Borough A: The following refers to the Irandicapped:

L Holidays provided only to the houscbound or those of limited mobility.

2. Holiclays provided for those for whcn short-tcrm care under Part III NationalAssistancc Act 1948 would otheru,ise bc needed.

l. Flolidays not available froflr any other source up to a mAximum of l4 days peri lnnunl .

Borough B:

1. Short term care is lecessarJ to provide relief to relati\es looking after an elderl-vhandicapped or mentall) disturbed person.

2. The social worker considers a Irolidal is absolutell nccessar)' as part oI therchabil itation of the client.

-1. Short'term care is necessar) to deal with an emergencl.

4. Recuperative holidals wil lonly be approred where the clicnt would otherwise needto be admitted to residential care.

5.39 Somc indication of unmet need is given by Boroughs' lists of groups who should receivcsubsidised holidals but arc not currentl) bcing assistcd. More Boroughs nrentioned one-parent families than any othcr group. The benellt here is required for the mothe.s (orfathers) as well as the chiidren. One respondent also mentioned depressed and poormotheN whether in one-parent families or not. A related group is the low incomefirmily, where there is a large number of children or Irhcrc the father is unemployed.

5.40 ,\fter one-parent families, and low income f?rmilies, respondents l isted the clderly. Thereis sti l l a minority of Boroughs that do not give assistance to the elderly unless they are

disabled. Amongst the elderry, those with low incomes and without famil ies are hish-l i gh rc , l .

5.41 Children in care and chi ldren from .. problem famil ies,, are also rnentioned, and therewould appcar to be relatively little provision for these groups at present. One Boroughmentioned help for people recovering from mental i l lness, and another a hope to giveassistance to hol idays arranged by individuats independently of the Counci l ,s scheme.

5.42 Paslels xffec1ing priorities

Factors which may affect levels of provision, which vary widely throughout the country,are outl ined below.

5.43 Finarrce is one of the major factors affecting both scale and type ol provision, and inthe present economic situation this is likery to remain an overriding consideration unressgreater resources are made available to local authodties either for general social serviceprrposcs or specifically for holidays. Several respondents in the survey of LondonBoroughs reported that the lerel of provision $,ould be cut in 1976:'' In 1976, as an economy measure in the present very difficult frnancial situation, therewill be no holidays lor act e pensioners. Recuperative holidayswere suspendeil in micl1975 lor l8 months due to financial const/aints. I do not envisage the expansion ot'Itoliday protisiot.t lor a ktng period, nor probabl), the le-instatemeht of the cuts inholidaj pk)tision referretl to."''

Financial restraints in 1975176 have limitetl tha number benelitting lrom holilays to757o of prtv nts ycart and no c\ lansion ol theb number is lorescenin the next 2lo 3

" There has been som( rlduction in l916l77 tstimatts ol the amount available lorholiclays. I think (an.l hope) this is a tenporar| phqje and it will return to normalprovision in 1977I78."

'' Given tlr present economic tituation we are no longer able to proyide assistedholidals, e.g. grant aided holida-ts arrcnged by the client. lVe also lace a dilemma inmanhing t)ur Holida)r Homc in that it is undcr-used during rhc winto.,,'' Sru lr ltx al uLtthorit! scrriccs ats holidoJs are baing cut back antl ltaring strutlutncri t( rio d( risad btcausa of shorter I unds available."" Drtring 1976, becaur( ol financiul constraints, it rL,ill be nace\sar! b reduce the amounttp(t1t on holide!-s othtr than at the Borouglt's hotel, anil consequcntly the hotel willItttvc ttt occommodalc a widcr range ol residents."' 'W i t h thccon t i nued r i s t : i t l i \ f l a t i ona 'n i l g row t l l ' ( o l ex i s t i ngse rv i ces ) i n t ' ac thas the

ttf tct ol rcducing exist ing slrvicet."

5.44 The cuts would appcar to be affecting both the elderl) and the handicapped, but it islikely that the former will be more severely affected. Boroughs which own their ownholiday homes are tending to cut back on assisting holidays taken elsewhere than intheir own homes. One reason undcrl l , ing the cuts is that hol idays are l ikely to carry alower priori ty than most of the other personal social sen ices-those (such as homehclp) rvhich provide support throughout the year.

-5.45 l he t lpe of provision is also atTected by f inance, sjncc this can l imit choice of location.inffuence the nature of the accommodation and so on. The type of accommodationwhich is availabie to a local arlthority at a price it can aflord, for exarnple, rnay bel inri ted, rnd wil l jmpose restr ict ions on thc type of pcople who can be catcred for.

5.46 Att i tudcs ol the I-ocal Authodty Social Scrvice dcpartmenr may also be ref lected in theprol ince of hol idays. Sincc thcir powers are largely discret ionar.y their pol icy is clearly

27

important, although it is not possible to examine this factor in great depth. The DHSSsurvey " had found in one of their depth studies that there were some wordes aboutthe future of holiday provision after a political change in the Committee, the newmembers not being so convinced of the value of holidays as their predecessors. As thereport pointed out:

" One enthusiastic member of a committee, who hor a particular interest in holidajs,may' boost ' the importance of holidaJs as also ma! the attitude and keenness of seniorwellare staff and, ol course, senior officials sometimes tetld lo have an inrcrest in aparticular service. ll here an officer is particularl! intercstecl in holiday, he maj beable to convey his cnthusiast|1 to the Comnittee."

5.47 Trrnsport is a iurther factor affecting a local authority's ability to provide cedain typesoi holiday, since many of the people being assisted are dependent on travel beingarranged for them. Some authorities have their own specially designed vehicles. Othershave to use their ambulance service or rely on lolunteer drivers to make arrangementswith commercial car companies. The more severely disabled are unable to travel longdistances and even short distances can be dimcult if there are no toilet facilitiessuitable for the handicapped en route. The transport arrangements which an authoritycan afford or is able to make can affect the level of provision for certain disadvantagedgroups.

-s.,{8 Availability or accessibility of a particular holiday centre may aflect the demands madeon it by other authorities. The DHSS survey quotes, for example, the DerbyshireMiners' Home at Skegness, wl]ich is used by several authorities in the Midlands. Thefact that more than one authority uses it obviously restricts the number of places andthe number ol weeks fo! which it is available to any other authority.

5.49 Relationshtps the locsl suthority have with voluntary and commercial organlsstions inthe area can also affect the level and type of provision. If these ate good, and theloluntary bodies are active in this field, there may be a wide choice of accommodationenabling more people to be assisted than if the authority has to provide its own homein which case the number and type of client which can be aided may be limited.

5.50 The number and type of stalT available is a final factor. Holiday camps, for example,usually require a high proportion of staff for a short time. A local authority home on theother hand would require permanent staff, the availability of which would be afiected bythe demand for seasonal labour trom commercial organisations in particular holidayareas.

5.51 Priority of holidays within social services

The extent to which each individual local autholitl makes provision for this particularpalt of its services is a decision for the authority itself. whilst several authorities areactive within this neld, other give holidays a very low priotity and a very small allocationof the finance available.

-5.52 A high or low priorit) fo. an! service must depend partl] ' on the local community;however, it has been shown that communities comparable in terms of levels ofdepdvation and numbers of elderly and disabled varies considerably in the provision

of holidays. lt has also been noted (paraglanh 5.45) that the attitudes of the SocialService depadment of the authority may strongly influence the place of holidays in tltetotal welfare progranlme.

5 53 l 'r iorit ies may also be lrfected b) wllat \oluntl lrt associations arc doing in the area lfthey are Darticularly active in providing holidals. then the authority is more easilyable to devote its l imited resources to othet setviccs.

: 8

5.54 No social service can be consirleretl in isolation. The part rvhi.l.r holiday schemes playin an authority,s total welfare programme for the disadvantaged may depend on thcoverail policy for these groups, and the financial constraints riitiuu.y acco.Aingly. are-housing projcct may take precedence over other welfare seJces; on ttre other hand,where the main aim of the authority,s policy is to maintain f"opli"-in tt .i. orn ho-",for as long as possible, it may consider hotioays as a vital paifni, p.ogrurnrn" orgeneral welfare support.

5.55 Whilst recognising that priorit ies need k) be flcxible, dependent on the indi\idual neeclsof the person and the comnrunity in wlrich he rives, it is a matter for concern that theresponse of authorities to their discretionary powers, and indeed their statutory duty,varics so uidell,and that there is no national guidance on the subiect.

5.56 caps in holiday provision

-I here are basicalJy two groups of people within the spectrunt with which the Grouprs concerncd who do not go on holiday_those who are offered a hoJiclay or are eligibtefor one but choose not to take one, ancl those who need a holiday but do not get oneeither at all or at the right time._These latter people may o. muf nit futt *itt in p."."ntstatutory provision, and it was thought that they may belong to groups who could bemore effectively assisted through national schemes rather than tlhrough local authorityschemes.

5.57 The London Boft)ughs werc asked for their views on this. There were six Boroughs whoreplied ' no ' or , ncnc apparent ' to the question ,. are there any depdved groups whocould be more elTectively assisted through national schemes rather ihan thiough localauthority schemes?', For the remainder, the largest group thought that there should bcsome form of national scheme to help th" u".y."ue."ly hundicaipped. The reasons givenwere as follows:" Specialist provision b! volunta\J arganisations can be rer. helpfulwhere client groupshave palticular nceds difficult t() catt,r for in general provision biing mqde by localauthorities. Governmeht !ponsoretl pt,ovision can be uselul to encourage a countr!_\piileservice il tarried out b)) an a(l hoc authority e. e. W RVS or specialist independentorganisation lunded b! the state, prelelabry an organisation with rocar brunches whichcan provide personal and indivitlual service."" Thosc rtally chronically sick and incctntinent who arc diflicult b plact !n loliday

" The saverely handicappctl for wfu:tm the hotel (owned b! tllc local authorilr) isinappropriate."" The very severely handicapped who requirc constant attentia)n. For thcse people thercure lew ugcncieswho con help.'' Pcople having relatitely morc pll))sical disabilities requiing speciol t'acilities or dietc.g. c<tclic discase, p11(n!lketonurca, epilepticswhosc fits cannot be controlleal.,,

5.58 The other main group specified was one_parent families (and other low income families),a group which at present receives very little assistance from local autholities. some oftbe views expressed with regard to this group were as follows:" Current legislation allows locql authorities to pt ovidc holidals to persons on thegrounds ol age, handicap, or illness, not on the basis of financial means. Voluntaryorganisations, charities etc., can therelote play an important role in proyiding assistanceto one-parent lamilies and low income families in need of a holiday.,,

3 l b i d .

29

'' /ll lanilics at risk arising ltorn econctnlic circumslan.cs bccause ol verJ low incomeand particularlj onc-par(nt lamilies coultl benefit lrom a wbsidisatl holiday as a right toa general benefit finahced b! central Gorernmcnt."" PossiblJ the on(parcnt t'amilics-herc the chiklren woulcl only be included in localatlthority schcmes whcn knov'n and becaus? ol pa icular family problems."'' Man-,'ol the deprivtcl groups who local aulhorit!'s do not assist are deprived onaccounl ol low incomes. Thcse groups could be ltelped through income maintenanceschcmes or bJ subsitlising holidays on a national basis."

Four respondents, whose Boroughs prefened to concentrate their resources on the

handicapped, specified the active elderly as candidates for national assistance. Onerespondent spccified the mentally i l l .

5.59 The suggestion that the severely handicapped and cllronically ill should be catered for

within a national schenle reflects the dimculties encountered in providing the specialisedstaff and accommodation which this group needs. Section VII will deal with this more

fully but it does seem that nationat charitable organisations, with specialised knowledge

and volunteer staff who have a personal interest, may with additional financial help be

better equipped to cater for these people than local authorities, who within limited

financial resources are catering for the more active elderly and children as well' and

often have to make a decision as to which type of client they will help, as they cannot

assist all those eligible.

5.@ Another group which is clearly being ill-provided for is one-parent families, whete, as

one respondent says, the children are only helped if the social service department knows

of them and they havc a problem which enables them to be assisted under the Children

and Young Persons Act 1963; assistance of this type is not common Aswithother

low-income groups it would secm that assistancc on a national basis, in line with

Supplementary Benefits and so on, would be most desirable.

5.61 Whilst in sonle instances it may be that individuals benefit from having a holiday apart

from their relatives, there are many families who would rather forego their holiday

than be separated. There is a major gap in the provision for family holidays, one of the

arguments against them being that able-bodied relatives take up places which could be

fi l led hy other handicapped or sick people. Not only would it bc desirable for as many

families as possible to be enabled to go away together in a normal holiday environment,

it is evident that an assistcd holiday can prevcnt families in a stress situation from

breaking up.

B Holidars Provkled by Voluntrrl-. Organisations

5.62 The legislation giring enabling powers to local authorities in respect of holiday provision

has recognised the continuing importance of voluntary bodies in holiday provision as in

other welfare work. Social workers maintain close contact with the welfare officers of

voluntary bodies in their areas so that cases of need can be referred to the organisation

hest able to help. Some voluntary organisations play an important role in providing

information to enable the elderly and handicapped, and those cadng for them' to nnd

.rccommodation most suited to their needs aod to take advantage of financial support

and reduced rates available.

5.63 Only a minorit) 'of charit ies afe established with the spcci{ic purpose of providing

holidays. The Charities Digest lists 30 such trusts and about 80 holiday and recuperative

houses. Most charities that give help with holidays do so as palt of their general powers'

*hich are perhaps mole likely to specify the groups of people who may be helped rather

than the type of help that may be given. It is therefore not possible to determile how

Inany of the 80,000 registcred charities dre actually concerned in the provision of

holidays, nor how many holidays they are able to offer, although it is probably less

than the 104,800 that the local authorit ies provided in 1974175

30

-5.64 Voluntar) bodies have three major sources of f inance:* charitable funds, either collectcd directly or recei\ed through grant giving trusts- local authority payments for work undertaken as their asent-- clientscontdbutions.

.5.65 A strong and well organised voluntary organisation can act on behalf of the Socialservice department to make thc l lest use of the nnanciar rcsources ar,ailabre and providca number of volunteers to augment social service stafI. A number of counties have sucha voluntary organisation which acts as their agent in respect of holidays. Suchco-operation is of particular value since voluntar), bodies are often concemed with aparticular handicap, illness or problem and can offer the specialist help, knowledge andunderstanding which a statutory body, with its range of welfare responsibilities, is notalways able to do.

5.66 f he Voluntary Association for Surrey Disabled, for example, has becn organlsrngholidays for handicapped people living in Surrey for many years.4 They act as agents forthe County Council, who provide a grant towards cost of administration, transport andsome subsidy of the actual cost of the holiday to the disabted person. In 1973, thisamounted to 237o of the total cost. Thirty eight per cent of the disabled paid full fees andthe remaining 629o bad to be subsidised. The minimum payable by a disabled person was,5.-50 per week. Whilst in many areas the disabled are offered no alternatives the SumeyAssociation, through ' the time and good wil l of well organised rolunteers ,, is able tooffcr a considcrable choice of types of holiday, which adds incentive to the client to saveand to be self-sumcient.

5.67 ln ncarly ererl rcgion voluntary boclies proride primar.i ly for the physicall l handicuppecl,often with very specil ic i l lnesses or disabil it ies: the) are generally able to cater for morcseverely handicapped people than most other types of holiday centre.

5.68 They are also najor pro\iders of assisted holidays for children; for exampie, thcWomen s Royal Voluntary Service sent more than six thousand children away onholiday in | 973 as part of its varied work for the welfare of children. Contributionsk)wards the cost are receivcd from local authorit ies many of whom refer to children inneed of a holiday to the WRVS, and from charitablc trusts as well as lrom the chilclren'sfamilies. Holidal s are prolided in residential ccntres, in private houses, often those ofInembers, and in caravans and chalets. In addition, holidays for families and mothers inneed of a rest are arranged.

5.69 Assisted holidals for the eldcrly are also organised b) !oluntary associ.rt ions both thosewhose specific concern is t lte cldcrly, such as Age Concern, and those $ho have a i! idcrange of welfare acti\ i t ies. sLlch as the Brit ish Red Cross Societ).

5.70 The needs of families in strcssful situations are catered for to some extent bt'a numberof vol|'lntary organisations. Cingerbread, for example, is an association of self-helpgroups for one-parent families. They are a maior provider of lo\\.-cost holidays for onc-parent families. In April 1976, for example, about 2,500 parents and children spent arveek at Brean Sands, Somersct, at an ave.age cost of f5 pcr head. Gingerbrcad also runa Holiday Rcgister-pror idiog information on various tlpes of accomn1o(lation al i lrange of prices. The registcr includes exchanging homes wlth another Glngerbreadmember in a different part of the country. Individual Gingcrbreild groups (over 300) i l lsorun their own holidit) schcmcs.

5.71 Although the prccise lerelol prorision ol holidal's by voluntrr\ ' iN\ocilt ions is no1known, therc is no doubt tl lat t lrcJ makc an itnportant contributjon to the overall suppl!:i t i s l i ke ly th t thcsca leandt )peo lp ro \ i s ionb) loca l au thor i t i t ' s uouk l bc cons i ( l c r l l t l )affected i l there \\ 'ere any major reduction in thc ,evcl of services cufiently made

1 This examplc has bccn txken l run t ta l id. rys la, tht Di \db1ed' , an ar t ic lc b) WcDdy Fr lncis $hichrpnearcd in lh. ( oun!y ( l )u lc i ls cczct tc, March 191.1

-'t I

available by the voluntary bo<lies. ln the current economic climate ihere are, however,several charities in financial dimculties and therc can be no immediate prospect ofexpansion without an increase in support from local or central government. The NationalCouncil for One Parent Families, which in 1975 gave 47 grants to lone parents in needof a holiday hars had to suspend all such assistance lor the time being. The Council ishoping to re-instate grants when economic conditions improve, and it is likely that theywill be geared specifically to the provision of assisted holidays as the Council has becomeincreasingly aware of the tremendous benefits of a break fo! one-parent families. In aclimate of flnancial stringency it is important to ensure that expenditure on holidays isnot reduced unilaterally as this could involve far greater expenditure by another service.

C Reduced Cost Holidays by Commercial Organlsations

5.72 Commercial organisations play an important pa in catering ior the disadvantaged. Onthe one hand local authorities make arrangements to use their accommodation in theirholiday schemes (see Appendix l1). On the other hand a number of operators andhotel and guest house ownels have schemes of their own, primarily for the active elderlybut also in some instances for the disabled, old or young.

-5.73 Reductions for e/lcrly clients, usually outside the peak season, are offered by manyhotels and holiday camps. Although an element of altruism is often involved, this is acommercially motivated reduction designed to help nll space which might otherwise beempty. Because old people havc fewer constraints on the timing of their holidays thanmost, as welI as being more traditional and perhaps less demanding in their tastes, theyare a suitable market for this type of offer. About 30 maior English seaside resorts haveomcial schemes for out of season holidays for the elderly.r One of the largest of theseschemes, that of Maryate, attracied2l,(n0 elderly people in 1973. In addition toreductions of l09o to 2070 off the standard reduced off-peak rates offered by hoteliers, awidc range ol reduced and free amenities and entertainments are offered by the resortThis enables the resort to advertise up to 50qo reduction in thc total cost of the holiday.The cost of organising and promoting the scheme is borne by the Council, as a serviceto hoteliers to help extend their season.

5.74 There are now more than a dozen operators, including Saga (Senior Citizens) Holida)'sLtd., Co-operative Travel' Golden Year' Holidays, Wallace Arnold, Thomson andCosmos organising low cost holidays for the clderly. For them this represenis a glowthmarket, not only because the proportion of elderly in the population is increasing, butalso because many senior citizens who have been sumciently well-off to pay for theholiday of their choice are now finding that inflation is hitting their fixed income.

5.75 whilst the nlajority ol holidays for the elderly 4re in April to June and September toNovemtrcr a growing number .rre being featured in July and August largely due to firmsbeing able to take advantagc of university students'halls of residence being emptydudng the summer vacation and offen'ng chcap holiday accommodation. The intro-duction of rail as tlre main transpoi hts helped widen the market considerably and alsocxtended the range of destinations. Co-op Travel, for example, offers a number of eight-day holidays in England, with travel bt train, part bo.rrd and excursions for between t40and t45 per week.

5.76 The market for these low-cost holidays has been estimated as about 250,000 in 1975,oand could possibly grow to over a million since the operators are now actively marketinga product which they find has a high level of repeat bookings and of satisfaction. Thesefirms are clearly commercial operations, specialising in the market for etderly holidaysas they might in any matket, and few wil l take anyone in invalid chairs or requiringspecial attention.

5 Hol idays for tho Elder ly, Age Concern. 197: .6 .Packases for the Elder l ) ' , Bi l l GIentoD. ' r ravcl Agency, Februa.y 1975.

-5.77 Thcre are few commercial opcrators ollering low cost h oltlays to the handicappetl,largely because of the special facilitics and staff that are required. The Central Councilfor the Disabled publishes a guide, ' Holidays for the Disabled '. which lists thoseestablishments in Britain (and abroad) which are able to take people who are handi_capped; the Council's own classification symbol denotes the degree of assistance andadaptation to be found at a particular establishment. Thcre is no element of subsidv orreduction in thc costs of this accommodation.

5.78 There is an extensive range of low-priced accommodation available to ;yoa ng people.Although many hostels are organised by voluntary associations, so there may be anelement of subsidy involved, fundamentally this is a case of a low cost product sold to amarket which is prepared to sacrilicc comfort to economy.

5.79 There are a number of voluntary (non-profit making) organisations which providespecialised holidays, often at very competitive rates. Many of these have been establishedwith specific aims such as the physical and spiritual improvement of young people. Someof them are long established and owe their competitive advantage to a stock of accom-modation which may have been donated by sympathisers and to a sDirit of dedicationamongst their staff.

5.80 The Youth Hostels Association may be taken as an example of such associations. TheYHA was established with the aim of helping people, especially young people of limitednleans, to a greater knowledge and appreciation of the countrlside. The association is amajor supplier of low cost holidays. About one-and-a-half million ovemight stays aresDent each year in its 250 hostels.

There is a small subsidy from two maln soLlrces:

- a Depadment of Education and Science grant towards headquartcrs running andstaff costs;

- support for capital expenditure on specific projects lrom the DES and front charitabletrusts.

By far the major sources ol income, however, are overnight charges, profits on tradingactivities and membership fees,

D Social Clubs

5.81 Whilst they do not nccessarily provide holidays themselves, a number of social clubssuch as th9 Rotary and the Lions Clubs which have branches corrntry-wide, make avaluable contribution to holidays for the elderly and the disabled hy arranging day tripsand excursions.

VI Transport

6.I l i)uri\m iJ obout being clsewhcrc ', and a nru.ior conrponent ol any tourist activity is!n element of transportation; the pattern of transport can condition the pattern oftorrrism. lhis can bc especially so in relation to social tourism, where availability andcost of different types of tmnsport can inffuence both the individual making his ownir rrnngcments and t he loca I a u t horit\ or \ olt lntar) irssociat r 'on organisin g a holiday onbchall ol othcrs.

6.2 The privatc car is thc most lavoured forn of transport for holidays, but many of thosepeople being considered in this report will not have a car, since those denied access to thisform of transport a.e mainly the poor, the elderly and the disabled. They are dependentupon commercially operated or public transport, or upon arrangements made for themb]' Iocal autho.ities or voluntary associations.

6.3 Transport arrangements by Local Authorities

'1 he necessity of providing transport is u major factor *hich can influence the choice oflroliday arrangement. Whilst some people are encounged to make their own arrange-ments, it is necessary for an authority to make some provision for the disabled and theless active elderiy, who \l i thout transnort heing laid on would be unlikely to be able totake part in the holiday.

6.4 Two kinds of transport arc inlolved-long distance and the travel at either end, to takepeople to pick-up points, public transport termini and to provide excursions.

6.5'l 'het)peoftransportarrangenientmadevariesbetweenlocalautho ties (see Appendixl9), and can depend on factors such as distance, numbers and types of people going onholiday, facilities available to the local authority, frequency of visits to the holidaycentres and so on. In larger administrative areas the provision of door-todoor transportis essential because local bus services are likely to be infrequent and unsuitable.Transport from door-to-cloor is obviously important where people are not mobile, andwhere they may be worried about travelling alone. And where holiday homes takepeople all year round, a conrprehensive transport service is likely to be required in the$,inter months when elderl) 'people ma! be particularly anxious about travell ing in poor

weather conditions.

6.6 Local authorities may liaise with voiuntary associations who will provide local transportto pick people up from their homes and tirke them to a terminus or central picking

up pornt.

6.7 Where a group is tra!elling together careful consideration has to be given in advance to

lacilities such as toilet stops and hospitals, and also to likely causes ofdelay on the

iourney. A voluntatv association may help by organising refreshments at pre-arranged

stopping places.

6.8 Some welfare depaftments ha\,c their own purpose-built vehicles which can be usedto take a group of people to and from the holiday destination and will remain there for

excursions, Frequently thesc vehicles, usually mini-buses, are supplemented by hired

commercial coaches for larger groups.

6.9 Other authorit ies ma) usc the ambulance service, althor'rgh thcse vehicles cannot take

many people and ate not alwal s suitabl) equipped.

6.10 Group holidays arc on the u/hole easier to arange than individual holidays, as the amount

of preparation and planning, which may include a t al run, is much the same.

34

6.I I Trtn\port for thc Indepcndcnt .Ir| lellcr

Some individuals who are givenassistance to have a holiday under a local authorityscheme may travel independently, in which case the authority is likely to give financialand/or practicai assistance to minimise travell ing problems. The;; are many others u,homay not bc eligible for local authority assistance hut for reasons of l inance, age ordisability have a restricted choice of transport.

6.12 Jhsm651 ,,s15atjle form of transport lorleisure purposes is the car, and whilst a propor_tion of disabled people may be abre to use adapted invalid cars, this mode of travel is onrhe whole denied to the economically and socr.ally disadvantaged. The majority of thesepeople will travel by bus, coach or train, and indeed are likeiylo be dependent on thesein everyday life.

6.13 For this reason transport is olten a decisive iactor in the individual.s choice of holidaydestination. Since cost, convenience and adequate facilities (partl.cularly in the case of thedisabled person) are of major importaDce the choice may be iimited an{i the problemsof travelling may in some cases be too great for the individual to contemplate taking aholiday.

6.14 Public Transport-Road

Travel by bus and coach is generally the cheapest form of public transport, particularl],for those whose flexibility in the timing of their hotidays is limited and who cannot takeadvantage of mid-week rail economy fares. About 30?o of expenditure on bus travel isaccounted for by households in the bottom 40qo of the income range, and nearly goqo ofthat by old age pensioners is undertaken by househords in the bottom 40go of the nationalrncome lange,r

615 The relati!ely row cost of bus travel makes it potentialry an attractive form of transpodto social tourism groups. Lower paid peopte with families especially can benefit, sincechildren are carried at half the normal rate. However, tvhilsi concissionary fares for oldage pensloners are common for local travel, they are available in only one of theNational Bus Company's regions-East Anglia. And whilst the less severely disabled maybe attracted by the cost, very few buses have any kind of facility for them; it may be aminor feature, such as the high step, that prevents a disabled person from travelling inthis way. Facil it ies at terminals, also, are often very l imited.

6.16 The transport policy consultation docuInent issued bythe Government in April 1976rconsiders that ' people have a right to expect a reasonable degree of mobility ,, and statesthat a main objective of transport policy must be to , give high pdority to the socialwelfare aspects of transport, and in particular to the public transport needs of thosewithout access to a car '- Whilst the report does not specifically mention public transportfor holiday purposes it is to be hoped that the social need for holidays will be recognisedand that consideration wirl be given to extending concessionary fares to longdistance bustravel. And whilst it was not the purpose of the document to consider facilities ontransport, there is clearly a need for some minor changes on buses \rhich would enablea greater number of handicapped people to use this form of transpod, in particular sinceroad transpod is gencrally more Rexible than rail travel and is therefore more attractiveto those who ha\'e some dimculty in travelling.

6.17 The long-distance bus network is a comprehensive one, and senices run daily, withincreased facilities during the weekend. The present capacity is considered to beadequate for the demand, especially as the elderly, and many of the disabled, have morechoice in their travell ing dates and can uti l ise ofi-peak capacitt.

| ' I ransport Pdic\- -A Consul ta l ion Docunert . HMSO. 1976.

35

6.l8 PublicTransport-Rril

Whilst standard tickets for rail travel are more expensive than those for bus travel.British Rail have a number of schemes which offer reduced-cost journeys, such as thel7-Day Return, the Book Ahead Economy Return and Railroyers. For the elderly, theSenior Citizen Railcard at f6 cntitles the holder to travel half-price for a year. This rangeof economy schemes is sufllciently comprehensive to enable most people to enioy areduction on their holiday journcy.

6. 19 British Rail recently introduced a ncw scheme whereby a wheelchair passenger maytravel, with an escort, both at second class fares in th(] Mk. III nrst class carriages nowbeing introduced. Each coach has a removable seat and table allowing the wheelchair tooccupy a position near the entrance and toilet. 'I'his service will gradually be increased,but until then disabled nassengers and their escorts are often confined to the guard's van.

6.20 While the new se ice represents real progress towards enabling more disabled peopleto enjoy greater personal mobility much more must be done not only to increase thesefacilities but to ensure that they are comprchensive; room for wheelchairs is only part ofthe problem for the disabled traveller-ramps at stations, handrails, wider doors to toilets,adcquate information about where facilities can be iound are all necessary but shouldnoi need to involve major expense. Care and understanding by staff also help to ease theprobJems and fear of trrvell ing which the disabled and elderly frequently face.

6.21 Inclusiye Holidays

Many tour operators offer inclusive holidays with travel by train or coach and this canrepresent an economic way of taking a holiday. Whilst most of the operators make theirtours generally available, there are several who specialise in holidays for senior citizens(Saga, Co-op Colden Years, Edenvale, Wallace Arnold), or who have separate brochuresespecially for the olcler person. In addition there are companies which feature in theirmain brochure lower-priced holidays during the spring aud autumn which are suitablefor the elderly, who have more flexibility in the timing of their traveL.

6.22 Apart from the relative cheapness of a number of these inclusive holidays, which putsthem within the reach of those with restricted incomes, there are advantages to theelderly in taking this type of holiday. Transport is arranged between the hotel and theterminus, and there are accompanying couders who are reassuring to those who are nothappy travell ing alone.

6.23 Whilst the operators do not take people who are very handicapped or need special care,they do take into account the need for ground level accommodation, ease of access tohotels and bedrooms and so on.

6.24 Attention is bcing given to the socially disadvantaged by the transport operators, but thistcnds to be piecemeal with no comprehensive appioach-a journey may be impossiblebecause one section of it does not have the right facilities. If concessionary fares for theelderly can be justified in one of the National Bus Company's regions the possibilities ofextending them nationwide should be considered. Thought should be given to instigatinga scheme such as that recently introduced in the United States, where a handicappedperson can travel anywhere in the country by purchasing a pass, and can take a travellingcompanion, all for the price of one passenger. But attractive fare structures which wouldput irolida).taking more within the range of social tourism groups, must be accompaniedb1' carcfully planned facilities, at departure and arrival points and on the train or busitsclf. More thought and awareness by both those responsible for planning and design andthose who stafl the railways and the buses could help remove what may be a maiorobstacle to taking a holiday.

36

VII Accommodation and Facilities

7.I SLlitable uccomnodation is unhave ro consider cosr, ,nu ,n '::1t^t11'

featurc.of social tourism, since those involvedconsiderably, not onl, in ,h..n'ont

tuttt ' the facil i t ies available This timits choiceat which ir may be f"^.ibt" fi.J::,:.31i:commodation

available, but in the time of veardisabred are at a par;.;i;. il::li'#: 4fi,: i""j',li"

rhe ress active erderrv and ihe

The Eldert)

7.2 The organisational problems wrn Appendix t t. rlese aiRicutt;1il l-l:,t ,0" :tt:'.otrecl in arranging holidavs are showncompleted by the London noroles

were emphi\ised jn the resDon\c to the questionnairetor the elderty is Iess ., " o..o,.Tli.^Ili

jn<licated- that finding 'uitubl. u".o.-odutioneo.oue,,",,u; no'dj;;;;;:;;:il:J,,-l.xi"ilL.iiiiiil;LTIn:il:i"i.,J:";sidered that diere was a nced fosnffered from incon;,; ; ; ; ; ; ;r . .r"

"ccommodarion for peoDle aqed over 75 and whoalwavs avairable for ,nor" ."o "liili!^tl-"cial

diets cround floor aciommodation is notc rimbing stairs but \.vno u.. no, ll9 llot

a rt h ritis or rhe u matisrn who find difficulty inArthou gh horiday ca;;;;;;;i,1,"r""X: ril:fi ::T::*"ll::T:l,illxT1r#1,;;,most of the suitable holiday canthere are long walks b"r*""n .#t--1':,:-1

the east coasr en tail ing a long joumey and that

:::l*,r*""":ntr*i:i:::i:.:_t::1ll,i::il;"*.nr,"*jt;".reru.tant to grant ex.1ur1u" ur" lT.tJ-tltlirruting

Ako' holiday camp proprietors areexcept in out of season p".io4, ,ot

]n"'t tstablishment to large numbers of elderly peoplethought the availabl" u..o..noJjl-1t

opril' Mav or october' one respondent, whoa'airabre in the rera,i""r, ."rd o::r,:::;i;11,?]lj;i,",r,,i,lio

,n", ,oo often it was onry

7.3 As has been mentioned elsewherparticipate in rocar a,,n".,,, *nl,ji"l1i::::J: :::lX:ffi]:";"T.:'.il""*J:lr"provided holidays at a low cost, wjth the operator ensuring thaiii. "],.nt, u." uUt" tostay in suitabie accommodation.

7.4 Physically Handicapped

'Ihat f inding suitable accommodation,fo r the disahled is a major problem was made clearb' the London Boroughs. virtua'y arr m€ntioned ar least one type of accommodationor facility that is lacking or in short supply_for the physically f,"rdi"upp.a. The LondonBoroughs wouldappear to rely quitc hea"ir, ." *ir*..v.i.iJtvl"llrnn,oaation, *t i"tris both costly and in short supply..The fotto*iog .omrnent.-i"i"lrifr" .on."rr, ",,,ou,,f,.shortage of suitable accommodation part icularty in the private secior:

" Accommotlation ol a uitable n

cost ot such acconm"d.,i", i, b:::;:,:';',::;,!,,i:::: * ,^ost impossibte to find. rhe

" There is a need lor morc purpose built holida! centreslholels.,," I t is very diflicult to fincl suitable

-accommodation for the physically handicapped as somanj tpecial la..ilitics are requireil lor a group. So^" hot"t, horiii"n oaopt"a tut ;nEeneral there is not en idaal place on the South coast seaside ar"o aif"n "ot"r, 7o, oaia",arie t j of disabilities.,''-' -The_rc

is a national shortage oJ atcommodation lor phlsicallJ handicapped people.Hot.els and tuest houses lack grountl fi.oo, o""o^^od'orion or-ii1,i. )i"r, ,o uuitairrr,bathrooms, and niletr is olten impossible lor whcelchair bouri i"oii) ona tn"r" i, ogeneral lack ol handrsils.,,"

There appears to be a lack ol lacilities to accomm()date phlsicallJ and mentallj handi-cttppctl people in the private sector cateing lor holidqts so thar handicappett people canaccompanj their lamilies on holidal.,," Thcre is a witle range of lacilities nee(led, but .t limit(d number ol agencies involved.,,

7.5

7.6

7.7

Specilic types of facility which were found to be lacking were ramps, lifts, level access tobedrooms, toilets, and communal rooms, doors wide enough to take a wheelchair, bcdswith adjustable levels, toilets with aids, and menus lor sp€cial diets.

Other shortages mentioned were holiday venues suitable for the blind, escorts for groups,therapeutic facilities such as swimming pools, gymnasiums, and resident physiotherapists,and ideas for new types of cultural pursuit holidays.

Mentally Handicapped

Over a third of the respondents replied that their Boroughs had no difEculty in placingthe mentally handicapped in suitable accommodation. Holiday camps appear to havebecome a popular venue. However, for the severely mentally handicapped there is littteaccommodation other than in the limited provision offered by th€ voluntary societies.One borough found it very difficult to find suitable accommodation and to make good

care arrangements for groups of mentally handicapped children going on holiday.Because of the sometime unacceptable behaviour of the mentally handicappod a measureof privacy and separation from the physically handicapped and normal holidaymakers is

required.

?.8 The Low-Prld

To those people for whom cost is the major constraint on holiday-taking, such as one-parent families and the low-paid who have young families, the need is for low-cost

accommodation. Holiday camps, small guest houses and self-cat€ring chalets and

caravans are the types of accommodation which are most likely to be within the financial

range of these people.

7.9 The problem for this group is likely to be availability of information about the oppor-

tunities available, rather than lack of capacity.

7.10 A further problem is the discrimination exercised by some operato$ against one-parent

families. The following quotations ate taken from the holiday brochures of two maior

tour operators:' To qualil! lor these rcductions childrcn must sharc a room with al least lwo full'larcpaiing passengers.'

' No rcduction is available lor a child <tccupying a room with one adult"

whilst such firms may consider offering such reductions outside the main holiday season'

few families could take advantage of this because of the limitations imposed by school

holiday dates.

7.1 I The major problem for all groups is the lack of accommodation provided commercially,

which minimises the opportunity for these people to enjoy their holiday in a'normal'

holiday environment. One example of how such integmtion can be achieved at a lelatively

low cost to the operator is the Westward Ho! Holiday Camp, where two chalets have

had minor adaptations made which allow families with a disabled member to have a

holiday together.

?.12 Whilst it is appreciated that the needs of the severely disabled in terms of facilities and

staff, may best be met by local autho ties and voluntary associations, opportunities for

the more active could be increasetl considerably either by adapting existing accommoda-

tion or by ensuring that suitable facilities ar€ incolporated in the design of new holiday

accommodation. This is particularly important for less expensive hotels and so on, since

co5t can be a Drohibit ive factor.

3 8

VIII Information

8.I Onc reason for the disparit ] . bctween the dcmand for loN_cost or asststcd hol idays, andsuppl), , is lack of inforn]at ion or lack of adcquatc channcls for comtnunication ofinformation. l t is not possihle to know h<rrv far elclcr ly and plU,sical ly handicapped peoplcq ou Id bc a blc to arrangc thcir o\r n hol ida) s i f the] had nrorc easi ly accesslble jnforma-t ion about suitable acconmodation avai lable to them. There are problems in col lect ingsuch infornation, of keeping i t up to date and of disseminating i t to those to whom itwould be of nlost value. Exist ing information about hol jday fa; i l i r ies N not widely knownto thc elderry and phlsicatty handicapped or cven to some of the soctar workers anditdministrat ion.

8.2 Local Authorit l Hol idars

I-ocal Authority hol ida],s may he offered onl), through social workers and other regular\rsi tors: or they nra! be nrore general ly advert ised. There are two muln att i tudes towardsthe advert ising of this type of service. One is that by making a service widely known, agreater dcmand wil l be created than can be met, and false expectat ions may be raised.The other att i tude is that although r is may he the case, i t can onl).be to the advantageot those aflccted, since prcssure wiI then be brought to bear to satisfy the demand. It\eens l ikel) that these two att i tudes principal ly inf luence a local nuthorjt) , ,s pol icytowards advcrt ising hol idal sclrenres.

g.3 trerv local authorit ics run a horiday scheme which use onry their o\-! n centres. ' Ihe extentto which other t)pes of hotiday laci l i t ics are used can depend upon the information towhich the authorit) .and i ts social wo.kers hdve acces!. Sc'eral \oluntary bodies produccconrprchensive inforrnation al.nut hol ida). opportunit ies, for. exantple:

' Hol i( la) 's for thc Elderly ' (Age Concern)' Indi\ i ( lual and croLrp Holiday provision . ( Edinburgh Councit of Social Scrr ices)' Hol ida)s for thc l ,hl sical l5' Handicspped ' (Ccntral Counci l for the Disabled).

Puhlications such as these are intended for botrr organisations ancr indir iduars arrangingholiday!.

"fhe extent to u,hich they are used, and by whom is not known.

9.4 In 1976 a new section will be introduced into thc Social Service year Book. f/ar(l an.ll lolitlayt lor the Di:;aclvantagecl. This is expected to provide a guide to opportunities fortra\el and holidays for adults or children who have difficulty in making pdvate arrange_nrents or who have special needs when tra\el l ing. I t Is intended to be used by socialworkers as a source of practical informati()n.

g.5 Voluntar) Associat ions

As wcl l as l iaising with local authorit ies, voluntary bodies may disseminate informationthrough l ibraries, clubs and on requcst. Where thcy are concerned with specif ic meclicalor social handicaps they can circulate information througlr their bul let ins and journals.'Ihe

Multiple Sclerosis Society is one such association giving information about holidayhomes, f inance, travel and publications in a spccial hotiday supplement to their bul let in.'Ihe

National Council for One Parent Families has produced a list of names and addressesof organisations wlro ma."- be able to lrelp give sjngle parents and their chi ldren a cheapho l i da l .

8 .6 'Ho l i da ) ' s f o r t hePh l ' s i ca l l yD i sab l cd ' pub l i shedb ) , t heCcn t ra lCounc i l f o r t heD isab l c ( t .is avai lable through a national chain of booksel lers as $ei l as from the Counci l i tself , andis a comprehensive guide to accommodation and faci l i t ies in Bri tain and abroad which.lre suitable for varying degrees of handicap.

19

8.7 Comm€rcial Holidays

Commercial firms operating holidays for the elderly frequently publicise their product

through norn)al advertising channels, as well as through publications such as' Yours '

produced by HelD thc Aged and a|iri lable frec to tlrc elderly.

8.8 Information about Facilities

'Ihe British Tourist Authority, and the English, Scottish and Wales Tourist Boards,

together with a number of their Regional Boards, now producc guides and publications

which indicate facilities a\'ailable to the disabled There are also a number of speciallJ'

designed guides, such as the ' Disabled Visitors Guide to Wales ' (WTB), ' Britain,

Information for the Disabled ' (BTA), ' Holidays for Older People' and' Holidays for

Senior Citizens ' (STB, ETB respectively) The Automobile Association publishes a' Guide for the Disabled ' which gives inlormation on motorway service facilities as well

as accommodation and eating out

8.9 There is a very wide range of information available to the elderly and the less mobile,

but it is not always accessiblc to the people who may Iind it most valuable, whether they

are looking for a holidal'to book for themsevles or are trying to book for someone else

40

IX Overseas Practice

9 . 1

9.2

9 .3

9 .4

9 .5

Within its terms of reference, the Study Group agrced to investigate overseas practice insocial toudsm and to establish whether and how it differed from that in Britain; and toidentify whether and in which ways higher levels of assistance were being achieved, witha view to making recommendations accordingly.

The British Toufist Authority, as pad ol its contribution to the Study Group's work,provided information on West Germany, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Norway andYugoslatia. The terms of reference for this part of the study are at Appendix 20. Inaddition, a youth centre in Western Gernrany and a family holiday in France wereconsidered as specific case studies. From the studies carried out in these West EuroDeancountries, the following points emerged.

Recognition of Social Tourism

Social Tourism is not usually recognised as an individual issue but is included in thecountry's social welfare policy towards deprived sectors of the population. Belgium andFrance are exceptions, with central governmental machinery and policies speciflcally forSocial Tourism. France is probably the most organised at governmental level andSwitzerland the Ieast.

Definitions of Social Tourism

In none of the countries, barring France and Belgium, is the term ' social tourism ' used.However, every country recognises a general need to offer socially disadvantaged peoplethe possibility of taking holidays and enjoying recreational activities at low costs, somelaying more emphasis on certain sectors than others. Wotkers with low incomcs appearto have lower priority as a group than dcprir,ed families, youth, the elderly and handi-capped in all countries except Belgium and Yugoslavia.

France and Belgium, countdes that are arguably the most developed in the social tourismfield, both put most emphasis on the deprived family in thcir respective policies.

Responsibility f or Administration

Central Government:Responsibil i ty (administration, f inrncial aid) is usually divided among departmentsconcerned with different aspects of social welfare. There is generally not much activeinvolvement at. this level, except in Belgium and France, whose central social tourismpolicies dictate to a large extent the areas of develoDment to which finance is allocated.

Regional Government:Regional and Local Government generally ha\e the main responsibility for administer-ing and operating social tourism facilities. In Germany, most of the activity starts atregional level, with little finance or direction from Federal Government.

Private/semi-omcial Organisations:In many of the countries studied, the role ol non-governmental organisations for organ-ising and financing social tourism is important. Switzerland is an extreme example ofthis, where the services of R.E.K.A. (Caisse Suisse de Voyage) largely compensate for theIack of government involvement. Yugoslavia, also, is mainly dependent on workers,organisations for subsidised holiday facilities. Private organisations tend to be divisibleinto three categories: semi-official workers' organisations, e.g. Belgium; voluntary, non-profitmaking organisations, e.g. R. E.K.A.; and cha.it ies (especially for the elderly andhandicapped in all countries).

Types of People Assisted

Most emphasis is placed on deprived families (large families, one-parent families, parentswith handicapped children) and youth; the elderly and mcntally and physically handi-capped are also covered. Workers with low incomes tend to be the least imDoflanrexcept in Yugoslavia and Belgium.

9 .6

4 l

9.7 Critcria for Assistance

Criteria dif ler between countrics (scc Appcndir 2l ) and between the type of group incach country. They generall! rclate to low income for all sectors and size of family.

9.8 Form Assisaance May Take

In all count.ies strdied, f inancial assistdncc gocs to:

a) dcr clop and opcrate facil i t ics, cspcciall l holida-v ccntres (the largest outlay. usuallyco\cred by central i lnd locrl go\'ernment and sometimes in coniunction with frrivateorganisations)

b ) subsidised holida) s (grants given b) go\ crnnrcnt and privatc organisations)

c) subsidised tra\el, gencrally for t lrc elderl].

l{oliday nrone} is allocated to lo\r wage earners in Srvitzerland by R.E.K.A. and by thcIlelgian Government, and German) offers subsidised entertainment for youth in towns.

9.9 Numbcrs of People Assisted'Ihe nunrber of people who benclit from the main social tourism facilities each year inmost of the countries studied is likely to be a half a million or less. In France, 300,(X)0pcople spent a holida"v in famill 'centres (' Vil lages Vacances Familiales ') in 1974, and inBelgium, 155,000 people used go\ crnment holiday centres in 1970. R.E.K.A. in Switzer-land, however, estimates that |.6 mill ion people (one fifth of the Swiss population) benefitin somc wa]'or another from its servrces.

Yugoslavir appears to hc a sepilrrtc case as rl l \\orkers benelit from subsidised recreationwithin their o$ n o.ganisations.

9.10 Expenditure'fherc is l i tt le infornation on thc expenditurc of each country on social tourism as awholc ancl especially b)'privatc organisations which incvitably makes comparison diff icult.ln most countries, governnrents gi!e suhsiclies in accordance with the importance placedon subsidised recreation for deprived groups within the social welfare departmentsconcerned. Taking this into account, sut'rs:'<lised recreation seems to be relatively wellllnanced in all the countries studied.

I rance and Belgium spend substantial amounts on de\elopment and promotion in certainrreas- But sizcable outlal 's on social tourism dcvelopment ale not confined to govern-nrents. ln S\r' i tzerltrnd, t lre pri\atc organisation, R.E.K.A. spent 16.6 mill ion Swiss Francs(€3.4 mill ion) on suhsidised holidal's lor socially disadvantaged people in 1974.

9.l l Governmcnt Priority Civen to Social Tourism

ln none of the countrics considered does the governnent consider social tourism (subsi-

clised hillidays/recreittion) to be u \ ery maior issue and it does not receive priority interms of finance. However, aid has been increasing ovel recent years. France andtlelgiurn, with gorernnrental machinery to deal with it, probably givc social tourism more

nriority than other countdes in Europe. In France, it is included in the National Plan.

Because of its socio-economic s)stem, Yugoslavia might concei\ably attach moreimlJortance to social tonrism for its population than Western European countries.

9.12 Appcndix2l summariscs the social tourisn policics ancl activit ies of each of thesecountries. From tiris re\ icw two signilicant difTerenccs betrvecn West Etllopean practice

and Brit ish practicc can be identif ie(l:

i) ln all countries considered /arnil ier are given priorit l (para 9.6), whereas in Britainit is the indi\idual who is thc focus for assistance, there being very few oppo unities forfanril ies to take a holiday together:

II\

l

42

ii) Both central and local government giye financial assistance to the development andoperation of facilities.

Both these features are illustrated by reference to social tourism practice in France. The' Vilkges Vacances Familiales' (vVF) is an association that operates 78 family holidaycentres, with a total capacity of 40,600 beds in 1974.

vVF was created in 1959 by national and' departnental' govemment bodies, and hasforlr basic statutory principles:

I . a scale of four different rates is applied depending on the levcl at which a family istaxed

2. modern family accommodation is provided

3. linance is obtained by means of loans (some interest-free) and grants from public orprivate bodies (mostly public) c.g. workers' organisations in factories (usually subsidisedby the Covernment and thc management of the factory); Caisses d'Allocations Familiales;(geographic) Departnental lramily Allowance Funds; social services; pension funds:Government S.rvings Bank: t lre National Bank for Agriculture (private bank).

4. close co-opcration is maintained with local authorities.

I herc are three types of centres:

a) vil lages proriding accommodation in holiday flats with full board.

b) villages providing accommodation in holiday flats with kitchenettes;

c) camping/caravan sites-these arc established near to type (b) vil lages so that campersmay take advantage of the facil i t ies available at the \i l lages.

In type (a) \illages the facilities provided include creches and other childcare services:organised activities such as games, dances, excursions, spotts facilities, etc Restaurantfacilities are provided in type (a) villages, and ' take-away ' hot meals services in type (b)

villages. In type (b) villages the level of services is not as high as in type (a) villages, butcommunal services are available -childcare services and children's clubs, sports andgames areas, library, excuNions, etc.

Organisations which support VVF nnancially are given priority in booking accommoda-tion in accordance with the extent of their aid.

The villages are reserved at certain periods for retired people: training courses; wolks'

outings and confcrences of a family, social or cultural nature.

9,l3 With respcct to thc financiit l assistance givcn b) the French Govelnment to tourisln,

grants and loans arc made available to suitable developments. Investols in social tourisnl

facilities are encouraged by means of tax concessions' for example.

9.14 The lack of capital investment in social tourism facilities in Britain can in part beexplained by the development over a long period of a stock of low-cost accommodationsuch as holiday camps, guest and boarding houses, self-catering units, and caravan and

camping facilities. The proportions of such facilities have been lower in Europe, and

financial aid has becn necessary to boost supply.

X Conclusions and Recommendations

(;eneral

10.1 Holidays are an important part of modern Iife, contributing substantially to both physicaland mental well-being and as such all membets of society should be able to benefit fromthem. The croup consider that the disadvantaged have a particular need for holidaysand this must be recognised as a vital part of our social and medical programmes. Thedisadvantaged person should be able to take advantage on holjday of tlte facilities whichany normal holidaymaker can take for granted in his everyday l i le. The Grouprccommend that:

l. In view of the essential role of holidays, social tourism should be recognised as animportant part ol a gcneral social responsibil i ty to all of the disadvantaged groups whichhave been considered in this report.

2. The responsible authorit ics, both public and private, as well as the general public,should be made aware of the holiday needs of the disadvantaged. The Statutory TouristBoards as part of their responsibilities as advise6 to Go\.ernment and public bodies shouldunde ake aD educational programme with this aim.

10.2 Public Authorities

The responsible authorit ies are not at present providing assisted holidays to the dis-advantaged at a level that reflects the need as estimated by the Group. A system whichallows wide variations in levels of pro\ision across the country must need a fresh look.There are a number of reasons for the present pattern of provision; financial limitations,for example, have an important influence as do€s the existence and level of activity ofvoluntary associations. Variation may also be because local authorities do not have anobligation, except for the handicapped (for whom criteria of need is a discretionarymatter for the authority), to establish the levcl of need in their area. Further, there hasbeen no attempt to date to establish rational and systematic priorities throughout thehealth and personal social services. The consultative document ' Pdorities for Health andPersonal Social Services in England ' by DHSS is the first document that should enableright choiccs to be made and effective planning to be achieved; it is a matter for concern,however, that this init ial step does not include reference to holidays.

10.3 In the l ight of these factors, the Croup recommends that:

1 . | ,ocal authorities should monitor the level of need ior assisted holidays so that theymight be in a better position to make the best possible use of resources in the provisionof assisted holidays. This could be achieved through the omces of the local authorityassociations.

2. The statutory arrangements within which local authorities provide assisted holidaysshould be revised to cnsure that all groups who could beneht from a holiday are includedtand every effort should be made to make local authorities fully aware of their discre-tionary powers so that the level of need may be met more adequately than at present.

3. Those deserving pdorjty of assistance need the closest possible attention, primarily interms of specific disability-whether mental, physical or social-and irrespective of age;and there should be comprehensive national guidance on cdteria of' need 'for under-privileged groups. This guidance should be provided by the DHSS to enable the localauthorit ies to fulf i l the duties recommended under 10.3 (1).

4. There should be national guidance for authorities on pdorities within the total welfareprogramme, allowing local agencies scope for making their own local choices in the lightof local needs, but at the same time ensudng that the relative value of services is fullyrecognised and that the proper balance is achieved.

44

5. Whilst recogDising the financial stringency to which all types of social ser\. ice aresubject at the present t ime, Government should consider as a long-term objective makinggreater resources available to local authorities to achieve an improved level of assistancein l ine with the guidance on priorit ies recommended above, if necessary as an integralpart of rate support grant.

6. More attention should be givcn b thc provision of family holidat's, particularly wherethere is a handicapped or elderly member.

10.4 Voluntary Associations

Voluntary bodies pro!ide inlportant resources in social tourism, and in pa icularthrough voluntary help are able to give a personal scrvice which local authorities arc notalways able to offer. Their provision of holidays is an important complementary aspect oflocal authority schemes, and it is clear that in many areas the number of subsidisedholidays would be less without the volume of accommodation, often specialised, whichthe voluntary association can proride. It is recommended, thcrefore, that:

1. Voluntary associations should be encouraged by means of f inancial aid made throughthe Tourist Boards towards the cost of providing facil i t ies.

2. Co-operation and co-ordination between voluntary bodies and public authoritiesshould be continued and developed, so that the maximum use may be made of availableopportunities.

3. There should be national voluntary schemes of assistance for those with rare types ofdisabil ity needing highl)' specialised facil i t ies.

10.5 Overseas Practice

'fhe survey of Eurol'can practice in social tourism has indicated that, as well as giving

greater attention to the needs of low-income groups, ccrtain Governments contribute,for example, toward the capital cost of holiday facilities for thc socially disadvantaged.The Croup agreed, howe\er, that there was a g.eater need for this type of assistance inthese countries because the)'are not able to offer, as this country has been doing iormany years, such a wide range of low-cost holiday accommodation and facil i t ies.

10.6 The Travel Trade

A good deal is alreardy being done on a commercial basis for the elderly, and this iswelcomed in particular because it enables more individual choice and independence. ThcCroup recommend that:

l. Tour operaton continue to be encouraged by the Tourist Boards to increase the levclof provision for the ' social tourism ' market, and to consicler catering for those outsidethe local authority responsibility who do not necessarily need special facilities, such asone-parent families.

2. Local authorit ies and charit ies should be able to use the expertise of the travel trade intheir provision of subsidised holidays, for example, by means of the ' clearing house '

recommended under 10.9 (2) below.

3. Steps should be taken by the Toudst Boards to review the possibil i ty of enabiing onc-parent families to enjoy similar concessions to two-parent families.

10.7 Transport

Transport is a vital element in the holiday, and the cost and availability of suitable travelfacilities can be a deciding factor in whether an elderly, disabled or deprived person cantake a holiday. The GrourJ recommends that:

45

l Detailed consideratiol should continue to be given to ways in which transportationcould be improved for the disabled, aItd pressure brought to bear by public and privatebodies on the major carriers.

2. Reduced fares available to the disadvantaged should be reviewed and codified toensure maximum use is made of spare capacity.

3. Closc consideration should be given to the needs of the disabled and other sociallldisadvantaged g.oups before any public transport ser\ices are discontinued.

10.8 Accommodstion and Facil it ics

,\vailability of accommodation at the right price and with suitable facilities is animportant aspect for people vith low incomes and who may have disabilities. Localauthorities and voluntary associations provide accommodation fo! those needing specialcarc and facilities. the expense of which may preclude their commcrcial provision. T herccould, however, be much more do.e by the accommodation sector for those with a minorhandicap, or for whom financial constraints are uppermost, The Group recommends,therefore, that:

I . Every possible means should be explored of offering somc part of holiday accommoda-tion to disadvantaged groups so that where feasible they may enjoy a' normal'environ-ment.

2. Information about suitablc design of new holidal' accommodation should be availableto hotelient and so on as this could considerably inctease the volume of accommodationavailable to the less scvercly handicapped.

.1. As part of the adrisory service tecommended undcr 10.9 below thc relationshipbet$reen demand and supply should bc closely monitored in order that any deficienciesin supply can be identified and where possible rectified: and spare capacity can bepromoted to the social tourism ' market '.

4. Providers of low cost accommodation should be presscd to make some of the mino.adaptations which would enable thc more elderly and disabled to go on holiday \lith their

families or simpll'to Itave more cl]oicc of location and accommodation

10.9 Thc Tourist Boards

The National Tourist Boards, as tlte statutor) organisations responsible for tourism, arespecially placed to co-ordinatc services for the disadl'antaged on holidal" lt is recom-

mended. therefore, that:

l. ' l he National Tourist Boards agree that social tourism should be an esscntial part of

their responsibilities.

2. The Boards should set up a ' clearing house ' .,f information on accommodation andtransport availabl€ for social toudsm purposes; this information to be at the disposal ofpublic and private bodics dealing with assisted holiday provision.

.1. The Boards should produce more detailed information on low-cost accommodation

and transport available for groups or individual travellers as part of their social tourismservice.

4. The Boards should set up a social tourism advisory service to advise suppliers of

holiday accommodation and facilities on the needs of the underprivileged.

46

Appendices

Appendix I

Organisations Approached for Evidence

Age ConcernAmerican EmbasslAssociation of County CouncilsAssociation of District CouncilsAs t rc ia t ion o f D i rec to r . o l Soc ia lSer r iccsAssociation of Metropolitan Authorit jesAutomobile AssociationBelgian National Tourist OmceBritish Association of Social Worker:B.it ish Red Cross SocietyCentral Bureau for Educational Visits and ExchangesCentral Council for the DisabledDepartment of Health and S..ial SecurityFrench EmbassyFrench Government

'Iourist Officc

German EmbassyHealth Visitors' AssociationIndustrial SocietyInternational Bureau in BrusselsInternational Labour OrganisationInternational Trade SecretariirtLeonard Cheshire FoundationLondon BoroughsNational Association for NIental HealthNational Children's BureauNational Council of Social ServiceNational Council of YNICA'sNational Council for One Pafent FamiliesNational Youth BureauPhysically Handicapped/Able BodiedRoyal National Institute for the BlindScottish County CouncilsScottish OfliceWomen's National CommissionWomen's Royal Voluntar) ScrYice

48

Appendix 2

London Borough's Provision of Sutrsidiscd Holidavs

l gT6Survey and publisbed sources.

A report to the Social Tou sm Stud!.Group b).thc l)lanning and Rcscar.ch Unit ofthe English Tourjst Board.

This surve) and statistical study is available as a separate report. lt is the sevenurin a eeries produced hy the English Tourist Board Research Unit as follows:- "Non-Holidaytakers" report and research proposals, Ma), 1974- "TIre Provision of Subsidised Holidays,' . Report, J une 1974* "Qualitative Study of Wage Earners' Holiday Expectations and Needs,,.Report, September 1974- "Qualitative Survey of Wage Earners'Holiday Expectations and Needs,,.Report, December 1971- "Holiday Expectations and Needs of young Wage Eamers',.Commentory,,l anuar! 197 5- "The Extent of Need for Assisted Holidavs".Re port, February 1975

This study updates and extends the earlier reports on the provision and need forassisted holidays (June 1974 and February 1975), and atso describes the subsidisedholiday schemes and facilities of the London Boroughs-chosen for survey especiallybecause of their substantial provision of such holidays compared with otherlocal aulhorities.

Summary

There are many Acts conferring powers on local authorit ies to provide subsidisedholiday facil i t ies. Like other free or subsidised services, the more the soclal serviceslook for clients, the more they can be found. The process of searching and registeringhelps to identify objectively the truly most deserving_though subjective judgmentsmust still apply.

The inner London Boroughs provide far more subsidised holidays than other localauthorities. There is no obvious reason u,hy other similar areas*such as the bigconurbations elsewhere in England, do not provide holidays on a relatively similarscale.

Benefits to the recipients of holidays and other members of their households are wellrecognised, but hard to quantify. They are mental, physical, social and financtat.When having a holiday, the recipient briefly makes no call on other public servicesand the temporary relief of a holiday may delay or conceivably prevent_chronicmedical or social conditions developing that would require more expensivc provrslon.Those benefits have not been valued-they would be marginal so all that can besaid is that the net cost of subsidised holidays to local authority and health servicesis less than the gross cost.

Numerically, old people are those most assisted in London but the evidence suggeststhat the smaller number of physically and mentally handicapped a.e those on whtchboroughs concentrate most attention. Old people may, naturally, come wtthin thehandicapped category. Voluntary or cha table societies, perhaps acting as agents, canprovide for the elderly who are merely isolated or infirm.

Assistance for handicapped people is costly, and for some cases only possible tnspecially built or equipped or staffed holiday homes.

Other numerically small, but most deserving groups assisted, are deprived children andthose in need of care, and one parent families with special problems. providing forthem is less costly but the) are less generally assisted than the elderly or handicapped,because there is not legislation specific to them.

49

Uncommon hut exceptionall) 'scr,ere chronic disabil it ies might be best cared for byholiday homes run by some natioDal organisilt ion, perhaps a voluntaD'organisation$ith central go\cn'rrncrrt irssistiurcc. lo whiclr local ruthorit ies c()l l ld send peoplc. Mor-edetailed study \\oul(l bc ncc(lcd to idcntif) such gaps in public or prirate voluntaryprovision.

Some cuts in social se.vices are to bc made Ior financial reasons, this year .rnd Ior yearsto come, Subsidised holidals wil l not gro\\, and wil l be cut by some boroughs, becausethey contribute to less scvere or acute tasks than other services and because they areessentially temporary palliatives. l-{olidays subsidised from the rates are presunrablyhard to justify when many ratepa) crs are themselves not well off, not hal ing holidays,or even unemployed.

Research Method

A survey was made to elicit professional opinion on the benelits, priorities, and problemsof providing subsidised holidal's. The survey secks to give guidance on which groupsneed priority fo. assistance, which groups might be more effectively assisted throughnational schemes rather than by local authority schemes, and what specialisedfacil i t ies are lacking or in sho|t supply. Also, the sur\ ey was intended to gi\ e a nrorcup to date indication of current trends in the ler el of provision of subsidised holidaysthan is available from published sorrces.'fhe London Boroughs \\ere chosen as a san]ple for the survey because of theirrelatively high level of expenditure qr subsidised holidays and because of the need forfairly rapid results. A semi-structured questionnaire was posted to the Directors ofSocial Services Departments in the 33 London Boroughs for self-completion in mid-January 1976, and by mid-March 27 completed questionnaires and supporting materialhad been returned. The asistance given by Sjr Lou Sherman, Chairman of the LondonBoroughs' Association (and a rnember of the English Tourist Board), and NIr E Sl{iggins, Chairman of the London Boroughs'Social Services Directors, was mosthelpful in securing a quick and high rate of response.

Personal interviews were also arranged with council officials at Westminster andHammersmith Social Service Departments.

The results of rhe survey have been set out in the context of the published statisticslsources on the provision of subsidised holidays in London, Fngland, and Wales, and onthe numbers oi elderly and registered handicapped people.

50

Appendlces 3 and 4

Appendix 3

Ii lderly Popuation of thc U.l(. l9ll98l

Mid-ytar estimates Projectionl % ( honget

t971 t914 l9 l l l l 97 l to 1974 (o1974 l98 l

N'len aged at ieast 65at least 75at least 85

Women aged at least 60at least 65at least 75at least 85

hlderly* as a qo of totalpopulationElderly aged 75 and over as(/o of total population

000's2,821

8331:,5

6,2344,5241, '717

353

1 6 . 3

4.IJ

000's2,986

855127

6,254,f,7301 , 8 ? l

380

16.4

4 .8

000's3 . 2 1 8| . 0 1 5

t29

6,-588-s.0332,13r

420

r7 .4

.5.6

7o+ 6+ 3

+0.3+5+5+ 8

7o+ 8+ 1 9+ 2

+ 5+ 6+ 1 4

' The eld€rl) are defined to be lhosc people over the usual relirement ages (65 for men and 60 for

1 Projcctions are 1974 based.

Source: Cenlius of populalion. Lrnd populali()n projecliont. O.P.C.S.

Appendix 4

Social Security Provision for the Elderly in Great Britsin

1q6l

000's

t974

000's

7o Change

Numbers receiving nationalretirement pension

Numbers of those abovereceiving supplementarypension

Males['emales'l otal

MalesFemales

Total

1.9904,0005,990

l l 0790

1 , 1 0 0

2,7 405 , 1 8 01,920

490r . t 9 0

r ,680

+ 3 8-r-30+ 1 2

+58+ 5 1

+53

Sou.ce: Depariment of Heallh and Social S€curity.

5 l

Appendices 5,6 and 7

Appendir 5

Elderly People Living Alone in U.K.

Percentagc of elderly in l'len ,yotnen

each sex and age group 195 | 19(16 197 | l95l l ,966 l91l

who live alone 7o 4o qo qa 1o 9o

ivlen 65-74lwomen 60-74 6.5 9.0 10.9 15.6 23.1 2'7.4Men and Women aged 75

and over

Number

10 .4 14 .1 t " t .6 20 .5 31 .4 38 .0

352,000 ---> I,s46,000 -:->

Sourc€: Census of PoPulation.

Appcndix 6

Persons Registered as Substantially or Permanently Disabled in Englandat Year Ending 31st March

1970 t97l t974 t975

Blind and partially sighted 1299 1342 136 1 140.2Deaf and hard ol hearing 40.1t 441 45 9 46.0General classes of handicapped 579.'7

Total 165.7Greater London total 144.9

(;reatcr London accounled for l8.9qo of.egistered disabled in Ensland at March l9?5. whilsl accounringfor l5.5ao of the population of England.

' Basis of registralion changed in 1974 75 from medical diagnosis to social ltorker assessment.

Source: H€al th and I 'ersonal Socia l Serviccs for England. D.H.S-S.. and Annual Abslract of GrealerLondon Statislics.

AppendiI 7

Persons Regist€red by Degree of Disabletlenl in Engllnd tt Year linding

3l st Marrh 1975

Blind 99,305 53.3 Very severely handicapped 15,580 12.1

Partially sighted 40,941 22.0 Appreciablv handicapped 59,560 464

9o

Deaf without sight 13,951 1.5 fotal classified 128,378 100.0Ilard of hearing 20,4N 11.0 Unclassified as yet 451,104.Iotal with sight or Total genefal classes of

Deaf with sight I 1,619 6.2 others 53,234 4r .5

hearing defects \86,222 100.0 handicapped

Source: Heal th and Pefsonal Socia l Services for Enqland. D.H.S.S.

52

579,482

Appendices 8, 9 and l0

Appendix 8

Rcsidential and Other Services provided Mainly for Eklerly and Handicapped

l:ngland and llales

000's

t96 t 1966 1973llcsidents i l l acconltnodi]t ion of LocalAuthorit ies j4 g8 I0-lResidents in acconmodation of voluntaryorganisations t] ]5 20Home helps.- cases attended j28 4lg -5-55Meals on wheels-pcrsons servcd durrngone week N.A. N.A. l,/2

Ia chongc1971 t96t-1914

105 +42

2t +62596 +82

1 8 1

source: H€alth and l,ersonat Social Services for Engtand, D.H.S.S.

Appendix 9

Children in One-Parent Families (c.8. l97l)

ANumber oi Cllildren i,r

Al l Al l one-Age ol child latherless larnilies mothe ess lamilies parenr families

0 - 45 - 9

r 0-141-5- 1 8'I otal

240 20.l l0 60270 60100 20920 160

260370-330120

1,080

Source: Finer Repor! on Onejrafent Familics based on (;en€ra1 HousehotJ Survcl.

Appendix l0

Families receiving Family Income Supplement (U,K,1g74)

Recipientr I:anilies000's

CJtildren000's

All one-parent familiesAll two-parent familiesAll families

3 8 . 840.679.4

64.6136.8201.4

Sourcc: Dcpartmcnt of Heal th and Socir tSecur i r ) .

53

Appendix l1

Extract from 'Local Authority Holidays for the Elderly and Physically Handicrppcd"

Deparlment of Health and Socal Security, 1973

The Organisation of Different Local Authority Holiday Schemes

Local Autlprit.t Holida! Homes

where a local authority social se ice department favours the purchase of a holidayhome, it may Rnd itself at the beginning of a lengthy process to get the scheme into

operation. The obvious starting point is to find a suitable property in a convenigntplace within the financial limits set by the amount of capital available. The choice of

site and connguration of the premises are extremely important and thought must begiven at this stage as to whether jt will be used lor the elderly, the physically handicapped

or both. and \\'hat this decision will involve in tern,ls of design or adaptation.

Unless a local authority has nlade preliminary investigations and has a clear picture of

the likely demand for the holid.!y accommodation, there may be some uncertainty aboutwhether to plan a home which will bc open all the year round or for only limited

seasons and what the likely relative costs per head are likely to be. Early decisions

become necessary therefore on whether the home will be used exclusively for holidays

or also for short stay cases to relieve relatives, or for example lor periods of maintenance

of permanent residential accommodation

Plannirg permission will be needed for adaptation of premiscs, and where a change of

use is involved planning permission should probably be sought before the property is

acquired. Once premises e.g. a hotel-have been acquired, arlangements usually have

then to be rnade for adaptation of the home to the needs of its new clientele. Where

there is any doubt as to whether the home will be used exclusively for the elderly or the

physically handicapped, authotities usually find it mote expedient to err on the side of

the more extensive adaptations for the physically handicapped would need since a home

which is made suitable for the physically handicapped will usually be suitable for the

elde:ly. A hotel with which the active elderly can cope on the other hand may not be

suitable for the frail elderly or the physically handicapped.

Unless a home is purpose built, it is unlikely to have much ground floor accommodation.

Installation of a lift, adaptation of corridors, toilet lacilities and handrails on all stairs

are likely to be first essentials. A large dining room is necessary if rvheelchairs are to be

used there. Many elderly ancl physically handicapped people have very limited mobility.

and a garden is a valuable asset.

Adequate heating is important, although it may be difficult to decide the optimum level

to provide for in the installation. Some elderly people in residential homes are used to

central heating and need to spend their holiday somewhere equally warm. Those who live

alone on the other hand, may not want to spend their holdiday in a centmlly heated

holiday home if they have to return to their own cold homes.

Decor is important, although there are ditTerent ways of looking at this and deciding on

the optimum may be diflicult. One view is that a local authority home should be run

as a good hotel and have reasonably luxurious furnishings to give those going on

holiday additional comfort that they may not find in their own homes Another view is

that hotcl decor generally speaking is not particularly good unless one pays a high price

for it so that there is no justification for lavish furnishings in a local authority establish-

ment. Others suggest that too elaborate a decor could make son]e people feel ill at ease

if their own homes are materially poorer'

At an early stage, arrangements have to be made for recruiting the necessary staff and

also for setting up the administrative machinery to cope with receipt of applications,

allocation of places, financial assessment and so on, The staff needed for the running

of a holiday home will depend on several factors, largely on the groups for whom the

holidays are to be provided, their degree of handicap, rhe extent of their mobility, and

any medical or nu$ing needs. It wil l also depend on what facil i t ies the'e are in the

holne. For instance, i f neithcr the baths nor lavatof ies have special supports or hoiststo assist people in and out, many people wil l be dependent on the services of anatteDdant, e\ en though some of them could probabl) cope alone i f there was some kindof nechanical aid. When the home is going to bc uscd not simply as a hol iday home butalso for short stay recuperative cases the stamng needs maJ'be cl i f ferent from a homeused exclusively for hol iday purposes.

Detai led organisation \\ i thin the home can contr ibutc lnuch towards the smoothrunning of the schenle, eDsuring that the serr ice provided really is a holiday. Facilitiesfor cl ients to bu)'sweets, cigarettes, soLr\,enirs etc. w hi lc not essential, cao greatly addto the hol iday for those wbose mobil i ty is restr icted.

A small but constructive senice \\ 'here cl ients are retufning honle at the weekend is toprovidc them with necessar) provisions before returning home.

' l 'his was the practice of

one authorit t . . and the old pcople appreciated not having the problem of returning home

to an empty larder at a t ime when most shops wott ld be closed.

Some authorit ies considcr i t necessary to work out in detai l beforehand the sleeping

and eating arrangements of each group ol people going to the home so that people are

not sha.ing bedrooms $ith others the) cannot gel on with or who wil l disturb them in

the Dight, and so that diet arrangements and special needs in the dining room can bequickly set up. l l detai ls of those going on hol iday are sent to the person in charge of

the honle or accommodation a few days beforehand this saves confusion on arrival.

Clients can be shown straight to their roorn and there are no first night delays in the

dining room, always inconvenient i f part-t ime staff are working to a t ight schedule.

I l1 some Local Authority Homes the preparation of a menu and the ordering ofprovisions is left enti iely to the person in charge, in others i t is t ightly control led by the

local authority. In fact at one home, any changes in menu had f irst to be discussed

with the authority 's social service department. Thc armngement of mcal t imes may be

very important in view of the rvorking hours of part-t ime staff and also bearing in mind

the pattcrn of meals that people l iving in residential honles are accustomed to, and lhe

habitual r ising and ret ir ing t imes of elderly und physical ly handicapped people l iving in

their own homes. General ly speaking, f lexibi l i t l or choice of meal t imes is impracticable

except perhaps where an activi ty such as a day tr ip, is arranged for the whole group.

With one exception the standard of food in the hol iday homes \, isi ted was good and was

often tai lored to meet Dart icular local tastes. ln most cases i t was not possible to offer

a choice on the menu, but in one case at least people going on holiday were asked to

say in adr ance il there was any food they would not eat. Detajls were then forwarded

to the matron about four days in advance so that alternative p; ovision could be made

where necessary for the few people irtvolved. At one home the food was excellent, with

a dif ferent menu every day of the fortnight and with f lask\ and sandu' ichs provided for

day outings and also for the return journey.

Some rules are necessary for the harnonious and safe running of a home. Common, is

the prohibit ion of smoking in the bedroom for safety leasons. aJthough this may not

alwat's be r igidly enforced. One mntron thought that j f pcople had to 8et up to smoke

the\ ' \ !ould cause a disturbance.

Some homes have to be fair ly str ict abotl t t l le hours $hich people keep because of

stafrng problems. In one home, thc supe.intendent had no night staff for most nights

of the week so that she had to return ffon] l ler free evening 1o takc care of the guests

during the night. Under such circumstances f lexibi l i t ) was almost impossible. The hours

tend to be less f lexible where the home also pro!i( lcs pcrftanent residential care as \tel l

as hol idays becausc permancnt residents become irccustomed to regulari ty and may not

want thcir routine upset by hol iday cl ients. Late nights are not always a problem'

however. because matl ' elderly ancl physical l l handicapped people go to bed early in

any case.

whether people are al lowed to move frecly abort the l lotDe may dcpend on the faci l i t ies

i lncl the staff. In some cases the) are al lorvcd to hclP in the kitchen: in oth€rs this would

55

be a hindrance. In one home, old people were allowed in the kitchcn to i l imitcd extcntas part of a policy of making them feel at home in unfamiliar suIIounding so as toenjoy the full benefits of the holiday.

Orre problcm of running a home is that of knowing how lar people want some fofl l l oforganisccl entertainmcnt. Flolidiy homcs are l imited in the entertainment thcy can offclbut if possible, a gocd plln is for roolr1s to bc so arranged that any entcrtainnlenta\ aildblc is not impo'ed on er eryone.

Voluntart- Schemes

Many of the same considerations apply to the setting up of holiday schemes rvltichinvolve the use of centres run by voluntary bodies, both from the local authority's !ndthe voluntary body's point of view.

The preparation of one Women's Royal Voluntary Service home, for instancc, tookalmost two years, to find, buy and convert a property, to build up sumcierlt local supportand to recruit volunteers.

Site and accommodation are important, no matter how the scheme is organised.Voluntary homes tend to be in the country rather than at the sea and have limitedappeal, therefore, to those who feel that a real holiday must be by the sea. On the otherhand country sites can offer the complete change ol scenery that some clients need.

One of the first problems for the local authority is to find out which voluntaty bodiesprovide suitable accommodation at a reasonable travelling dishnce from the boiough.The local authodty will have to decide whether to make long standing a(angementswith the appropdate organisation to ensure that a ceflain number of places areearmarked and available each year or whether to approach the organisations afresheach year according to needs and resources. The ease with which a scheme can be setup will depend partly on the relationship already existing between the local authorit,vand appropriate voluntary bodies.

The amount of effo required of a local authority will vary according to the particularvoluntary body concerned. In some cases the authority may be responsible fot selectionof individual clientsi in others the voluntary body may prefer to make the selection, onthe basis of detailed information given by the authority.

Where the local authority is already well acquainted with the voluntary body concerned,perhaps in connection with the provision of other welfare services, there may be no needto inspect the holiday centre. Where the facilities become known by hearsay or throughagencies such as the British Red Cross Society and Central Council for the Disabledpublication already mentioned, the local authority may wish to visit the holiday centreconcerned in order to assess its suitability for the padicular clientele it wishes to serve.

As with local authority homes, entertainment and activities may be difficult to organise.One of the problems is of course that the physically handicapped are by no means .rhomogeneous group so that just as different people \tant holidays of different types, sothey also want different amusements.

Although some voluntary homes are well stafed, othe$ prefer escorts to accompanythe holiday party, and providing them is usually the responsibility of the local authority.

Of the different kinds of holiday scheme, those run by voluntary bodies generallyspeaking involve the local authority in least effo , since most of the responsibility forthe holiday rests with the voluntary body, even if the local authodty has to arangetransport and such other preliminary arrangements as financial assessmeots. One or twolocal authorities, on the other hand, have lound voluntary bodies very precise about thedegree of disability they will accept, asking lor very detailed inlormation in advance.Some also wish to finalise arrangements at an inconveniently early date.

56

Commercial Schemes

One of the first considerations in setting up a holiday scheme using commercial holidayceDtres is that of finding suitable accommodation at reasonable terms. This may involvewriting to and visiting many hotels and camps before finding one willing to offersuitable acconrmodatjon at concessionary prices at a feasible time of year. The aufhoritywill have to decide rvhether to accept off-peak bookings, thus being able to send rnorepeople with the money available, or whether to accept accommodation mid-season at ahigher price. Most authodties choose the former alternative, sometimes becausecommercial bodics can only offer accommodation for such holidays at the beginning andend of the season. A few authorities use camps and hotels in mid-season, in order to beable to offer the same oppo unities for a summer holiday to the elde rly and physicallyhandicapped as are available to the rest of the population, but these are the exception.As with voluntary schemes a decision has to be arrived at about the kind of arrangementsto be made with the commercial erterprises. With camps it may be necessary to ea[markor reserve a cedain number of places in advance or from year to year because of keencompetition for limited facilities. With hotels and boarding houses, especially for theelderly, this rnay not be necessary and may be more desirable as it allows a change ofresorts to be made from one year to the next if it should be thought necessary.

The organisatjon of arrangements for local authority holidays at commercial holidaycentres involves a considerable amount of concentrated effort. The shortage of places atcommercial centres means that, unless the local authority has a standing arrangement,bookings have often to be made as early as the end of the previous year's holiday.Sometimes a centre *ill be given over completely to local authority holidays for aweek or so at the beginning and end of season, in which case they may be used by morcthan one local authority at a time. Where this happens the managenents may leave theallocation of accommodation to be sorted out by the authorities between themselves,and this kind of co-operation between authorities contributes a lot to the smooth runningof the centre.

Even where the same camp is used from ye4r to year by !L local authodty, discussionwith the management is of great importance, for example to arrange for special dietsand particularly to ensure compatible arrangements whenever there are able-bodiedpeople on holiday at the same time as for example in th€ allocation of dining roc'rnseating. Some camp managements are very co-operative and in some cases * ill arr'angefor special aids such as ranps to be put where necessary to chalets and communalbuildings.

Occasionally a camp may change its policy and may cease to be as suitablc. It may forinstance use ground floor accommodation for its own staff, thus reducing the numbcr ofsuitable places for the physically handicapped.

Careful prior inspection of the camp is always necessary, particularly it it has not beenused by the authority before; if for instance there are no toilets in the chalets, specialprovision must be made possibly by means of commodes for the duration of the holiday.Camps may be extensive with some chalets situated at a considerable distance fromcommunal buildings so that it ma)' be necessary to allocate chalets to people by namebeforehald so that the more severely disabled are within easy reach of the centralfacilities. This is important both for the clients and also for the team of helpers andstaff. Where wheelchair cases are being taken on holiday it is essential to ensure easyaccess to chalets al1d toilet facilities which clients \\ill want to use individually at will.

Some authorities have found it expedient to arrange delivery of wheelchails to theholiday site bgforehand and to send an advance pady to label wheelchairs and chalets sothat arrival and settling in runs smoothly and everyone knows where to go.

57

Camp organisatioi is vef) dimcult and perhaps in\olves more attention to detail thanany other scheme. Arrival is particularly important, because of the first impressions lefton the holidaymakers and on the camp management. Camp holidays requirc considerableorganisation of equipment. However well meaning camp authorities may be, they arenot adequately equipped for parties of physically handicapped people.

From various reports of holidays and from personal interview with some of those whohad organised camps, an impressive l ist of detailed planning points eorerges:

l. ,\rrangements for thc homeward journe-\' need to be made in advance to avoidinvolving the organiser in correspondence, phone calls, eic. durirg the holiday.2. Wheelchair patients without escorts tended to be left isolated occasionally-this needsto be bornc in mind when the composition of the pArt) is known and the dutics of thehelpers are being allocated.3. Means of wheelchair transport to the holid{y centre needs to be settled \lell inadvance of the holiday.4. Wheelchairs need more space than is commonly imagincd.5. At least one organised outing duril lg the week should be aimed at.6. Bedpans, aDd u.inal bottles always tend to be under provided also spare towels, soap.luggage labels, rugs, commodes, walking sticks, oil cans and tools for minor repairs oradjustments to wheelchairs.7. Organiser needs more detailed information about patients and their personai needs,e.g. medicine and pil ls, amount of help needed, state of health, whether the individualwil lneed or wil l bring own llottles, bedpans etc.8. The name and address of the nearest relati\ c is necessnD in case of emergencl.9. A holiday action committee with representatives of the voluntary bodies involvedmight be useful.10. An advance report on the state of health of escort might be useful, particularly ifthey are elderly and need to continue some form of treatment while they are a\ir'ay.I l. Tltere is a danger that escorts wil l overdo things. fhere are consjderablc distancesto be co!ered in holiday camps and rery often *heelchails are not in the best ofcondition.12. Transport t ime-tables must be stricly observed.13, Additional staff are necessary at the reception to assist in dispersal.14. The very infirm or mentally confused should not be allowed to participate ascomplete and continuous control and supervision are not possible.15. Residents of Local Authodty Homes should, without exception, be accompanied byan omcer from their Home or Establishment who kno\!s then] by sight and understandstheir peculiarities.16. The physically handicapped conlined to wlreelchairs should be accompanied by guides.17. Toilet facil i t ies must be adequate

It was suggested by the leader ol one camp that there should be three helpers to everytwo severely disabled people in the part) and that the helpers should be experiencedpersonnel, e.g. nurses. The ratio of se\eral Irandicapped to walking or escorted handi-capped in the party should be bome in mind. Consideration shonld be gi,"er $ herepossible to match groups of people sharing chalets for conpatibil i t l

tt was found to b€ advisable to keep one or lwo spllre rvheelchairs Dear ke5 poinrs incase someone set o{f without a wheelchair then found he needed it afteI walking about.It was also found that two helpeis \\ere often necessary to negoti.rte inadeq ate ramps,one to push and one to pull.

Nlany decisions have to be madc before the holiday; wlro to send, ltow many of whattype of disabil ity, in which accommodation to put then), etc. Arrangements ha\'e to bemade for transport, for the collection of wheelchairs, comnrodes, etc. and Ior borrowingany necessary additionai equipmcnt: the accommodirtion has to be inspected. rampschecked or arrangcd fof; medical ceitif icatcs havc to be obtained; meetings must bearranged with the staff who are going on lhe holiday. \!, i th the nlanagement and withthe staff or other local authorit ics using the crmp: tcnders Iof transport have to be

-i ii

considered, and r isi ts have to bc made to those going on hol iday to reassure them and togive them a fcw detai ls about the camp.

Arrangements also have to be maoe for coping with any emergencies during the week.Stamng has to be worked out so that someone can be free to cope i f a cl ient is i l l , hasto be taken to hospital, or simply q'ants to go home. l t was suggested that there should bean administ.at ire deputy to the main organiser because the organiser has to be on cal lal l the t ime and cannot deal with al l contingencies.

Several authorit ies stressed the importance of continuity in hol iday management fron)car to year. An organiser who had been once or twice could learn from his mistakes andimprove the hol iday in fol lowing years. He could of course pass on information andadvice to his successor but i t was probahly unfair to the physical ly handicapped to havea "green" organiser.

A meeting between al l stalT and helpers befo[e the start of the hol iday would be ler]beneficial so that a plan of act ion could be worked out and staff and helpers could getto know one another a l i t t le beforc the camp. l f the Iuggage could arr ivc before thecampcrs lhi i would relrcYe nruch of the init ialcl taos. A petty cash f loat is essential at thecamp to cover emergencies. There is a need for the tai l- l i f t coach to remain at the campfor the hol iday periot l .

A hol iday at a hotel where the whole accommodation is takcn ovcr involves similar.detai led arrangenrerrts. Where sevcral hotels and boardjng l touses are used. tho:je goingon hol iday are l ikely to need to be the more active cl ients, because helpers wil l not beavailable at each place. The emphasis for this type of hol id.r) is on co-ordination ancl thcarrangement of group acti \ i t ies 1(] bring peoplc togethcr.

Genefal Commenls on Organirarion

As can be scen. thc sett ing up and running of local authodty hol iday schemes involvesa Iot of preparation. ln man), wa]-s the inauguration of a ne$ hol iday scheme is a stepin the dark: and authorit ies wil l wish to mininl isc the r isks by appreciat ing what isin\ ol\ ed. The scale of preparation necessaq, to launch hol ida, schemes depends onmany factors: -what ser! ices are inheritcd, what other services are required, theavailabi l i ty of faci l i t ies. the activi ty of voluntary bodies. rcJirt ionships with other localauthorit ies, the att i tude of the Committce, the avai labi l i ty of staff and voluntee6, thepersonal interest of off icers concerned, the state of the register, past experience ofoff icers and knowledge of needs and l ikely denrand. I f demand is l ikely to eaceed suDDlydecisions have to be made as to how p.iori t ie. i are to be determined and whatadministrat ive machincry wil l be necessary to deal with this.

[ :rom an economic point of vie\\ ' , i t n]ay be expedient to conccntrate resoulces on onetype of hol iday provision. but doi ig this maf in some cascs restr ict the scheme so tt lali t ci l tcrs only, sa). for ce.tain typcs of lrandicap or may perhaps deprive the physical lyhandicapped of any choice as to kind ot hol iday.

One !ery important aspecl of lhe organisation of hol ida!s, part icularly [or thephysical ly handicapped and the less active elderl). is the nced to ensure their maximumsafety drr ing the hol idals. Fire precautions must inevitabl) Rgrrre predorninantly in thescconsiderations. Of course, one \\ould expect commefcial managenents to be ful lyaware of their respon\ibi l i t ies for the safet! of cirmp and hotel users in general, and al lmajor adaptations to premises. such as those made bl, local autho t ies in theconversion of hotels to hol iday homes, are subject to the normal controls of the planuingauthorit ies, but i t may be that extra caution is necessary where hol iday cl ients haverestricted mobility.

i 9

Appcndire! l l and l3

Appendix l2

Scottish Tourist Board Survcy of Local AuthoritiesNumbers benefitting from assisted holiday provision

There have been few attempts to quantify the numbers benelilting fiom such schemes,or indeed to assess broadly the cost.It is apparent that present schemes can only cope in respect of a l imited number ofpcople.

The Counties of Aberdeen and Kincardine have budgeted .€1,300 per annum for theprovision of holidays or to subsidise the provisiorl.

Dunbadon quantify part of their work, estimating that some 280 persons are cateredfor every year in residential hones, which admit elderly people for short holiday periods.Selkirk estimate that 30 children benefit from their holiday accomnodation schemes.in accommodation owned by voluntary organisations.

Clackmannan estimate that 50 individuals and families benefitted from holida-varangements made with other bodies and authorities, while a further 50 childrenbenehtted from one day or three day camps.

Morayshire estimate that during the past year, 20 people spent holiday periods in localauthority homes, 12 in establishrnents run by voluntary organisations. In addition,financial assistance \\,as gi\,en to the cost of a holiday for two physically handicappedchildren.

Stirl ing County Council estimate that 230 severely disabled persons had l4 dal s holidayeach in Stirling Council's own holiday home. tn addition 450 persons were alsoaccommodated during the year at that honle. Stirling County's second home willenable them to double the numbers they presently cater for.

West Lothian have a number of schemes. l5 physically handicapped people go to aholiday home in North Berwick, l5 mentally handicapped go to either Stewart House orDewpalk. In these cases the full cost is paid by the Council. In addition, the WRVSsponsor 90 old people to a coastal hotel, and this schcme is subsidised by the Courlcil.

There has in general been no se ous attempt by any of thc respondents to quantify theiractivity and it probably extends beyond the numbers quoted.

Appendix l3

Local Authority Expenditure on Subsidised Holidays in England and I'l"alcs durirsYear Ended 3lst March 1975

Net e'6;;ditureper I tOOO

population

AsJtstan(c

Population* ?otalerpenditure*

Assis tanceper

client

rLondon Boroughs

Mit ropol i tan Dist r ic tst

Erf I i sh and IJel shCount i es

All English and Wel shAuthorities

'ooo ,66,7?z L4.z

IO,514 22.L

30,338 q.?

47,624 loo.o

€,ooo $L,)74 62.9

326 14.9

485 22.2

2, 186 IOO.O

a

233

3L

r6

fr

a22.6L

L7 .23

15.05

19.53

60

-\ppendi, i l {

Comparison with Local Au(hority Expcnditure oD other Support Seryices:rnd('ommunity Care Items

Net exrcndittlt e perI 000 to p!la ! i)tt I 97 4-7 5

q(' change Grcater Al l I ' )ngl ish1972-73 b London antl Welsh

I'lnr:lanLl 19/.1-74 A uthorit ie.s[ . r

197 3-74I',(n)a

Accommodation for thc elderly 85,712 +28Hoore helps 48.310 +30Accommodatiol ' l for l1rentallyhandicapped 9,498 +45Day Centres for 1'oungcrphysically handicapped 5,'744 +37Dal Centres for elderly (includingmeals ) 5 .19 .5 +10Accommodation for youngerphysically handicapped 5,065 +.19N,Ieals in home 4.283 +32Accommodation for neltallt i l l 2,115 +]7Adrptations to homes for dilablcd 1,9{12 +81 90 5jHolidays 1.70.5 +-s2 233 50'felcphones

I.491 +91 100 50Aids for the disabled 1,190 +34 'tO 40Day Centres for mentally i l l 1,163 +51D.1y Centres for mentally handicapped 5-59 + 4Concessionary Travel N.A. N.A. 35 ' j6

Sourcc: l leal lh and l ,crsonal Socia l Star isr ics for Ensland, D.H.S.S.. and I 'ersonat Socia l ServicesSt i t t is t ics. Cha.tcred Inst i lute of Publ ic Financ. and Accountancv.

6 l

Appendir 15

Expenditure on subsidised holidsys by M€tropolitnn Districts with population of

more thrn 200,000 in England snd Wdes ln yerr to March 1975

Metropolitan Districl E-\pencliture per

l0O0 population t

L

BirminghamLeedsSheffieldLiverpoollvlanchesterBradfordCoventr-1Sand*ellSeftonWiganwakeReldDudleyNewcastleStockportSunderlandDoncastefSalfordWolverhamptonBoltonRotherham'frafford

OldhamBarnsley-Ihameside

GatesheadRochdaleNorth Tyneside

r,086,500748,300561,500561,100-516,100461,100335,300320,100307,200-r06,600305,300298,70029'7,W)294,400292,6N283,500273,600268,200261,800248,100227,4W224,700224,tOO222,600222,300210,600205,900

l 058

l 6295

N.A,39l lI41 tl 8

134233 7z

3 731-t I93

305ll

t 3-t7

l 2

Average expenditure by Metropolitan Districts withpopulation of 200,000 or more

A!erage expenditure by Greater [-ondon Boroughs

+ Some authorities may havc included items othc. than holidays in their rcturDs.

Sourcc: Personsl Socia l Services Stat is t ics. Chrr tcrcd Inst i t t l tc of Publ ic Finance and ccountanc)

(rl

, lpprndir 16

London Boroughs provision of hol idars ()car endcd - i ls( March)

Pe4ons t-:iderl, Reaitercd Peorle gi"?n subsidised 7o Changtusitt..I as moles oeer Disabled holidort 1972-73 k)70 ol totdl 65 ord 1974-75et.l..ly da.l lenalesr.aitter..l ov.,60

1971-75 1972-71 1973-74 1971-75

MertonBexleyCroydonKingstonRichmondBarnetEalingBromley

Appendir 16

23,100 3,640 s,48521,800 3,7'75 3,09829,600 1,906 4,65027,600 3,083 3,82624,500 3,078 1,49225,',100 4.758 2.56241,700 7 .436 4 ,19135,200 8,426 3.39928,900 t .598 2 .55631,600 3,862 5.1939,300 5,451 2,59136,700 6,387 2,71334,300 8,524 r.09533,400 2,'172 r.55-534,200 t44,2t2 1.85110,305 3,124 24028,800 4,260 39039,400 5,856 669

400 3,844 2721,1W 3,229 1 ,14535,800 4,412 23430,700 5,94126,100 9,025 5742t,2N 4,228 6002't,600 3,48'/ 68625,800 6,081 34642,000 5,536 21620,800 4,338 18626,900 3,479 19444,4N 3,453 25738,600 3,552 30440,000 2,684 364

5,808 5,560 + |3,775 4,ff it + 291.661 4 ,171 + 3- r .819 4 ,223 + tO-r,8 t5 3,206 - 82,562 3,414 + 333.685 4 ,841 + 163.177 3 ,630 + 7-1.226 2.700 + 6

861 2 ,684 + 3893,298 3 .371 + 302,830 3 ,102 + t41 .837 2 .545 + 1321,449 1,9'12 1- 271.940 l ,330 + 2

740 1 ,518 +535174 r ,315 + 237

1,04',t 1,687 + t52-38 25 - 8

364 950 - l7668 940 +302986 823793 596 + 4452 464 - 23166 449 - 35429 t88 + 1254't 623 + 18891 262 + 4l

n2 263 + 36308 401 + 50314 341 + 12385 348 - 4

Tower HamletsBarkingHackneyCamdenHaveringIslingtonWandswodhSouthwarkGreenwichHaringeyLambethLewishamBrentRedbridgeWestminsterHil l ingdonHarrowEnfieldCity of LondonI{ounslowWaltham ForestNewhamHammersnrithKensington & Chelsea

21.2| 4. -',]I 1 . 5t 3 . 4I 1 . 5r 1 . 3r 0 .28 .28 . 27 .67 . 47 . 16 .65 .35 .0

3 .8.1. I1 . 0

2 .0L 91 . 4t . 41 . 21 . 20 .90 .80.80 .7

- Colunn headed rRegistere'l Disabled I should read as follos:-

London Borough

Torter Hanlet sBarkingHackneYCddenHaverinOI sLingtonltan dsuorthSouthwarkGreenwich$aringeYLambethLewishamBr€ntRedbri.dgeI{estminsterHi l l ingdonllarrort

t ,L244,2605,,816I ' 84lr3,2294,4r25'9Ir l9,O254,228),'t*875 ,0815 ,1364, 3383 ,4793 ,45 )3 ,5522.,684

5 ,579408

3,6bt,7753,9a6)'o839,o78L.-7582,4368,4261' 598) , 6 25,54 !6 ,38?8,5242 1 7 7 2

L44 r2l2

EnfieldCity of LondonHounaloYtaalthar ForestNerhanHamergrithKensington and Chel sea

MertonBexl eyCroydonKingstonRichnondBarnetEalingBronleySuttonGreater London

III

\pprndi\ I f l

Lordon Boroughs provisior of holida]s (ycar endcd 31st March)

Perso"s r.idetl, Retiste.ed People si,e^ subsi.Ikcd ./o Chatscdsisted 6 nol.s o,er Ditubled hotidays tez2-73 i"70 ol total 65 an.! 1971-75etd..ly a^d lemal.slz|ist.r.tl o'et 60

1971-75 197)_/3 1973-71 t97,t-75

'fouer Hamlets 21.2Barking l4.lHackney I1.5(lamden 13.4Havering l l.5lslington I 1.3Waldsworth 10.2Southwark 8.2Greenwich 8.2l-laringey 7.6Lambeth 7.4Lewisham 7 .3Brent 6.6Redbridge -5.1Westminster 5.0Hill ingdon 4.5Harrow 4.2Enfield 3.8City of London -.1. IHounslorv 1.0waltham Forest ).4Newham 2.4Hammersmith 2.0Kensington & Chelsea 1.9Merton 1.4Bexley 1.4Croydon 1.2Kingston \.2Richmond 0.9Barnet 0.8Ealing 0.8Bromley 0.7Sutton 0.6Greater London -5.6

23,100 3,640 5,48523,800 3,1^t5 3,09829,600 t,906 4,6-s027,600 3,083 3.82624,600 3,078 3,49225,700 4.758 2,56241,700 2,436 4,19335,200 8,426 3.39928,900 t,598 2.-55631,600 1,862 54939,300 5.451 2,59136,700 6,187 2., '11334,100 8,524 1.09533,400 2,'712 t,55-s34,200 144,212 1.851-10,305 3,t24 24028,800 4,260 39039,400 5,856 669

400 3,844 2727,700 3,229 l, l4-535,800 4,4t2 23430,700 5,94126,100 9,025 s7421,200 4,228 6002',1,600 3.48"t 68625,800 6,081 34642.000 5,536 2t620,800 4,338 18626,900 3,479 19444,400 3,453 26738.600 3,552 30440,000 2,684 36425,200 -5,579 269

998,400 408 49,735

5,808 5,560 + I3 , 7 1 5 4 , 0 0 1 + 2 91,661 4 ,771 + 3-3 ,8 t9 4 ,223 + lOl,8l-5 3,206 - 82 ,562 3 ,414 + 331.685 4 ,841 + 163.311 3 ,630 + 73.226 2.100 + 6

861 2 ,684 +1891,298 3 ,371 + 302,830 3 , t02 + t41 .837 2 .545 +1321,449 t.972 + 2'lt .940 1 ,830 + 2

740 1 ,518 +5154 7 4 t , 3 1 5 + 2 3 7

1,O4',1 1,687 +t5238 25 - 8

864 950 * 17668 940 +302986 823193 596 + 4452 464 - 23366 449 - 35429 388 + 1254',7 623 + 18897 262 + 4l

n2 263 r- 36308 40r + 50314 341 + t2385 348 - 4402 \64 - 39

55,555 63,467 + 28

Sourcci Annual Abslmct of Cfeatcr London St i r t is t ics. and Pcrsoni l l Scrv ices Stal is l ics. C. I .p.F.A.

\ppend i r l7

Expenditure of Lon(lon Boroughs on subsidised holidays during year cnded3lst March 1975

L()ndon Bt)rough Elderll os olo

7o

Registered disabled Ne t e.r penrlitureas Ea ol total per 1000population populatbn JV o f

' fower Hamlets

GreenwichLewishamflackney(lamden

WandsworthHillingdonWestminstcrBarkingFlaringeyLambethHounslowHarrowBrentSouthwarkHaveringCit! of LondonRedbddgeHammersmithWaltham Foresl

MeftonBametRichmondNewhamF,nfieldF,al ingKingston(lroydon

SuttonBromlev

Kensington and ( helscir 12.6

1 5 . 313.'.114.6| 4 .214.414.412.1t ) _ /

t 5 .3I 1 . 8l l . 51 3 . 8t4 .5t2.914.610.49 .4

14.515.4| 5 .6

2 . 12 .02 .22 . 32 .02 .01 . 5| . o2 .7L 52 . 11 . 8L 31 . 63.'7l . l' t .1

1 . 51 . 81 . 6I . u2 . 71 . 82 .3| . ' l2 . 12 .21 . 22 . 61 .',l2 .8

1 . 6

871 ' *61958954'l5 1 5434

] 2IJ2772622432412432222091 6 1l.5s+t 5 41 2 89'l9l646359

5 l5 l4933

l 8

50

l-5.91 5 . I16.21 .1 .4l 5 . l

1 2 . 81 5 . 11 3 . 5

Greater London Boroughs 14.1All English and WelshAuthorit ies r 3 . 9

Dala on holidry expendilure no1 arailable fof lslinslon and Bexley.

Sourccr Personal Socia l Scfv iccs Stat is t ics. C. l .P.F.A.

+ Sonc Auihor i t ies mal havc included i tcms or lcr than hol id i r ts in thci r rc lufns.

(

(

64

Appendix l8

Mult iple deprivation Nnd thc prorision ol sulrsidiscd hol idays in England and lvales

Itral Autfurities witltl0 or ml)re Enuncrati t)nDisl l ials in the o|erlopol tlte xr:rst l5Vo olE.D's on orercro\eing,lack ol e.xclutive u:e ofull basic Jtousinganenities, and maleunenplo!ment

qtulil!incllnumerationDistricts

qualifying

Il .D's os Vo oftotal Iocal

Net etpenali tur(on rubsidisedltliluys per l00O

197 3-71

I slington*BladfordSalfordKensington & Chelsea*NottinghamHammersmith*South ShieldsBirminghamManchesterWestminste.*LeicesterHackney*Camden*NewcastleLambeth*GatesheadBlackburnV/olverhamptonLirerpoolTower Hamlets*SunderlandBolton

22, r311r ,68413,56516,7 t924,8641 i.592

1 4 ) \

70 ,81 I36,794t2,'1'/417, '7 t513,456l 1 ,268| | ,944| 5,9424,9664,891

t2.83227,444'1 ,27 t

9 , 1 3 46,O21

9i,u . ll t . 0r0 .61 0 . I8 . 57.-51 .51 . 27 .06.56.46 .26 . 1-i.65 . 35 .34 .94 . 84 .64 .64 .34 .0

f,4 1 8 1

5N.A.I l 3

90r&e5

2e1 t244

l444352l 0 l164

l 1

t 4

l0t 4

Average expenditure in local authofi t ies where more than 4alo ofpopulat ion l ive jn mult iply deprived enumeration distr icts I l- iAverage expendituie in al l English and Welsh Local Authori l ies 313*Average expcnditnre in London Boroughs l isted abo\ e 325

Sourcei Ccnsusof populat ion, l9Tl .andLocal Healrh rnd Social Service Star is l ics. C. I .P.F.A.

t 1975 76 €sl imale.

1t 197+75 actual .

65

Appendices l9 and 20

Appendix l9

Number of local authorities with diff.rent transport srrangements by type of ruthorlty-deteiled table I

Number ond type ol Authoril)'London Count! Count!-BoroLtglls Councils BorouSlls Iyales

'I otal

T vpe ol Transport Arrangemenl

L.A. transport door to door onlyL.A. transport to railway station onlyItail fare paid onlyVoluntary transport onlyL.A. transport from door to doorand rail fare paidl-.A. transport from door to doorand voluntary transportL.A. t.ansport to railway stationand voluntary transportRail fare paid and voluntarytransportL.A. transport from door to doorand transport to railway station and\oluntary transportL.A. transport lrom door to doorand rail fare paid and voluntarytranspofrAll types of local authority transportbut no voluntary transportAll types of transport a0angementDon't knowTotal

t 9

t3

5

3

3

l l

I

4I

-l

1 2 6

l

tt

3

I3

l 4

8

30

72262

4 1

4

I

2

3-5'7

1

l 42

),rl

2

3

5t o

259

158

l 0

+ Survey before local government reorganisation, but transport usage likely to be similar'

Sou.ce: " Local Authority Holidays for the Elderly and thc Handicapped "' DHSS' 1973

Appendix 20

Overseas PracticeTerms of Reference for Investigrtion

'

2

l

4

-5

6

,7

8

Recognition of Social Tourism

Definition of Social Tourism

Responsibility for administ.ation

The types of people who may be assisted

The criteria for assirtance

The form that the assistance may take

The number of people assisted and the amount of money speot'Ihe priority \ ' 'hich the Covernment gives to this kind of social help

66

Appendir 2 |

West (;ermsny

l. Recognltlon of Social Tourism

Not recognised as an indilidual issue at national level. Included in the whole complexof welfare assistance and dealt with mainly at regional level where each automomous'Land' has its own specific welfare policy.

2. Definition of Social Tourism

Social Tourism is not defined as such. However it is part of social welfare policy tooffer subsidised holidays and other recrcational benefits to all socially disadvantagedpeople, including the physically and mentally handicapped, deprived families, theyoung and elderly and immigrant families. There is less interest in workers with lowincomes in this field.

3. Responsibil i tyforAdministration

Fedetol GovernmentMinistry of Social Assistance: gives annual subsidy (B.H.S.G.) of Dm. 150-200 million(f29-30 million) to the Regions wht'ch each receive about 109o of the total; a part ofthis share is allocated to social tourism. Also has special funds for the encouragementof holidays for the handicapped.

Ministry for Youth, Family and Health: gives subsidies totalling Dm. I l 5 million(f2 milllion) in 1975 for family holidays and investment in facilities.

Regional Governmenthas pdncipal .esponsibility for financing and administering subsidised tourism. Grantssubsidies for the development of social tourism infrastructure, e.g. family, youthholiday centres. Also subsidies available for travel and holiday home costs, Regionalgrarts for deprived family holidays totalled Dm. 28 million (f5.5 million) in 1975.Respo[sibility for development and management may be delegated to authoritieswithin the region, e.g.:

Local Authoritiesalso grant subsidies for reduced travel and holiday centre costs.

Boroughsalso play a part in subsidising certain groups, e.g. the handicapped, deprived families,immigrant workers and their families, youth, e.g. youth DeDartments ir towns.

Private Organisationsmost receive grants from Regional Govemment to develop/operate and arrangefacilities, e.g.:-Family Organisations-Religious Organisations, e.g. Evangelischer Reise Oekumenische Studienreisen-Charities, especially for the handicaDDed-Youth Organisations-MotheIs' Help Organisations

4. Types of People Assisted

Young People and ChildrenSenior CitizensPhysically and mentally handicappedOne parent families with more than one childLarge families of limited meansPeople with limited meansImmigrant workers and their children

5. Criteri l lor Assistance

Depends on type of person assisted and on stipulations of the l legion e'g go\crnment

subsidies to hJidavs, for the handicapped arc allocated according to family incorne'

for young people, according to incomc and size of famiJy' aid for family holi(lays

therc a re \ j tn i la r c r i te r i r i r (cord ing lo thL in , l i \ i ( l r ra l Reg ion

6. Fornr Assistance MaY Take

Development lO peration ol FacilitiesCentres and holiday homes for depri\ ed families, youth' t l le disabl!(l ' nrothcrs with

handicapped children. immigrant families (mainly developed hy Rcgional

covernment in conjunction with Local Authorit ies lnd private orglrnil i l t ion\)

Subsidised Holicla!sat holiday homes (self-catering or on a pension basis), guest houses or farnhouses (run

by government and other organisations) Wotk camps, language coursc'i holidlys

abroad and holidays for the elderly are run by religious institutions'

Subsidised Travelgiven by the Region and Local Authorit ies

Subsidised Enter lainmentmainly for town youth (reduced elltry into theatre, museum, zoos, etc )' e g Youth

Department of Frankfurt. Also make areas available for youth recreation in lowns-

7a. Numb€rs of People Assisted

1'here are no precise figures available although it appears that n substantial numl)er

of deprived people are helped within their particular region'

7b Expenditure

Federal and Regional govemment total expenditure on social tourism is rclatively

small, compared with that spent in othet European countdes Hou'ever' it is dimcult

to assess the size of expenditure on social tourism at a local level and the

contribution of pdvate organisations.

8. Government Priority Given to Social Tourism

Government interest in Social Tourism is a small part of the nationiil llnd regional

social welfare policy, and as such, does not receive priority linance'

Belcium

L Recognition of Social Tourism

Recognised by Government as an individual issue. Go\emment machinery to deal

with it, atthough does not act through direct intervention but rather through financial

aiJ to private. semi-official init iatir e

2. D€finiton of Social Tourism

Give an opportunity to low paid workers and their families to go away on holida!' and

to undedake leisure activities for physical, moral and cultural cnrichment

3. ResponsibilityforAdministration

G ovc rn me n I O/Soaims (Grant awarding,Commissariat G6n€ral au Tourisme-gives subventions to pdvate organisations

principally for capital projects.Conseil Superieur du Tourisme Social-advisory body, combining all governmental andprivate social tourism interests. Has a budget-'Caisse Nationale des Vacances

Annuelles' for development of social toudsm infrastructure.

68

Private Organisatiors (subsidised, organise actual Irolidays/recreation)Workers organisations-subsidise and manage social tourism establishments.Private Associations-organise cultural visits, etc.

4. Types of People Assisted

Principally low paid wo.kers and their families.

5. Crlteria for Assistonce

Low income.

6. Form Assistance May Take

a) Constluction/Operation ol FacilitiesCommissariat G€n6ral au Tourisme (Ministry of Communications)-gives subsidies fornew development (up to 7590) and for development and maintenance of existingestablishments (5070). Emphasis, at present, on development of family holiday homes(87olo of Social Tourism investment).- Developed 32 Holiday Centres ( 15,500 beds) and 99 'Relais Touristes, (8,243 beds)for young people.-- Caisse Nationale-gives subsidies for acquisition of land, fittings, conversions ofsocial tourism facil i t ies.

l>) Subsidised Holidaysto youth, family holiday centres. Cultural visits, etc.

c) Extra Holidaj Parallocated to each affi l iated employee by Caisse Nationale (amount double 3 weeks'pay).<l) Subsidised Travel'Carte Vacances Joyeuses' for workers and their families-half price rail travel, validfor 30 days within Belgium.

7a Number of People Assisted

Government aid aimed at 2 million workers and their families (J of population). ln l9?0,155,000 people used Government subsidised holiday centres, which was a 7Zo increasein numbers since 1966.

7b Erpenditure

l'otal expenditure by the State and workers organisations to date is 1,300 millionBelgian francs (f,16 million). (Workers organisations contributed 65qo of the total.)Generally recognised that aid is insufllcient.

IJ. Goyernment Priority Gilen to Social Tourism

Far down the Iist of financial priorities, but considered necessary as part of thecountry's social policy toward the deprived sections of the population.

Franc€

L Rccognition of Social Tourism

Recognised by Govetnment as an individual issue. There is Government machinery todcal with it and it is provided for in the National plan. Social tourism takes uo morethan half ol Government funds allocated to tourism develoDment.

2. Definition of Soci&l Tourism

To encourage particular population groups, especialiy youth, the elderly and largefamilies to go on holiday and undertake leisure activit ies,

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3. Responsibility for Administration

Gorernment OrganisnlsSpecialised Commission on Sociai Tourism (attachcd to the Higher Council for

Tourism an advisory body) Cives subsidics 9 million francs (t900,000) in 1968

(4 mill ion to camping development, 5 mill ion to holidal' I i l lages Gives loans

Encouragements to investors in social tourism facil i t ies e.g. tax concessions

Ministry of Sport and Youth grants to yourlg workers and studenls e g for winter

sport holidays.Minislry of Social Affairs-run Iamily holiday homes.

Departments-run holiday homes, children's holiday canlps

Se mi-o lrtcial and S pe cial i s I O r !<ani sa nons'villages Vacances Familiates' (WF)-an association that runs 78 family holiday

centres, with total capacity of 4,600 beds in 1974Union des Centres de Plein Air (has 22 chalets)Federation Unie des Auberges de JeunesseOmce du Tourisme Universitaire (holidays for French students abroad and foreign

studenis in France).Omce Franco-Allemand pour la Jeunesse (youth holiday exchanges)Union Nationale des Centres de Montagne (motlntain holidays).

Other OrganisationsTrade Unions, cooperatives.

4. Types of People Assisted

FamiliesYouth, studentsElderlyChildren

5. Criteria for Assistance

Low income, social deprivation.

6. Form Assistance May Take

Developnentf operation ol lacilitiesHoliday camps and vil lages (subsidies from social tourism commission, Min ofSocialAffairs).Family holiday vil lages (principally run by VVF).

Subsidised Holidaysto holiday centres (abore), \ ' ' inter sport holida]s etc.

7a Numbers of People Assisted

Precise figures not available.With VVF, 300,000 people spent a holiday at family holiday vil lages in I974.

7b Expenditure

Substantial amount of government and private funds spent on social tourisnr.especially on family holidays.

[]. Government Priority Given to Social Tourism

Within Western Europe, France is probably the country most intetested in SocialTourism at governmental and national planning level.

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Switzerland

L Recognition o[ Social Tourism

Not specif lcal ly recognised by Covernment: no governmental machinery/ legislat iondealing with i t . Social Touri lrn is f i rst and foicmost the concern of private, nonprofi t-making organisations of which the n1ost important is R.E.K.A. (Caisse Suisse deVo)'age).

2. Definition of Social Tourism

Depends on the aim of the private organisation concerncd. l{ .E.K.A. probably hastl le widest definit iol t , to make i t possi l l le to offer hol idi,rys to people of l imitecl neanr,deprived famil ies, the physical ly handicapped and the elderl). .

3. Responsibility for Administration

Gctyernmentgives certain subsidies to encourage hol iday-taking, e.g. to Swiss Federation for the Aged.

P /ivale or ganisatiollsR.E.K.A. in part icular-an organisation subsidised by employers, Trade Unions andco-operative societ ies. Works through a savings scheme, price reductions and a specialR.E.I(.A. chcque scheme.more special ised Swiss Federation fo. the Agcd.Srviss Associat ion for the Handicapped, etc.

,1. Types of People Assisted

Famil iesPeople aloneElderlyHandicappedPeople with l imited ntean\

5. Criteria for Assistance

Depends on individual organisation. R.E.K.A.,s principnl cr i ter ion is Iow rncomc(annual family inconte of less than f5,000 per annum).

6. Form Assistance May Take

^) DevelopnentlOperation ol Holi(lar Centresprincipal ly by R.E.K.A. which has 12.484 bedsoaces. Also rcnr extra hol idayaccommodation for social tourism purposes.

b) Subsitlised HolidaysR.E.K.A. of lers hol idays to deprived famil ies, elderly and the physical ly hancl icapped inits holiday villages. Swiss Federation for the Age<i oflers holidays at home arld ab.oad.

c) Price ConcessionsR.E.K,A. cheque scheme (hol iday saving schcme-16?0 reduction on hol iday expenses).

d) Subsidised TravelReduced rate on rai l tra!el for the eldcrly. Up to 50.% reduction.

7x Number of Peoplc Assistod

With R.E.K.A., 59o of the Swiss populat ion ( 1.6 mil l ion) is est imated to beneii t in solneform or another. In 197-5, 6,200 people went on hol iday at reduced cost, 1,500 had freeholidays, 271 benefi ted from other low cost arrangements.

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7b Expenditure

R.E.K. A. spent approximate l) 1 6.6 million Swiss francs (f,3.4 million), largely throughits cheque scheme, on social tourism in 1974.

The Swiss Federation for the Elderly spent 62 million Swiss francs (f12,000) on socialtourism in 1975 which was a 859o increase in expenditure over 1974.

8. Government Priority Given lo Social Tourism

Social Tourism is not included in Govemment priority planning.

Norway

l. Recognltion of Social Tourism

Not recognised as an individual issue although comprehensively covered *ithin severalGovernment departments dealing with social, physical and mental welfare.

2. Definition of Social Tourism

l'rincipally concerned with providing holidays and recreation for the deprived young andfamilies, for the elderly, physically and mentally disabled and the sick. workers (anyoneemployed) are also included, although to a lesser extent.

3. Responsibtltty for Administration

Gorc rnme nt or gani sa I ion s (G r an I attard in 8):

lvlinistry of Social AlJairsgives subsidies to local,/national organisations involved in holiday welfare of

physically and mentally disabled,- subsidies to Local Authorities.- subsidies to some town councils, c.g. Oslo, to run holiday camps.- subsidises holidays for youth and the handicapped (out of thc Statens Ferienfond).

Departmant of Education and Ecclcriastical Aflairs- subsidies to summer adult colleges for the elderl)'.

Deparlment of Familj and Consumer AlJairssubsidises holida)s for housewives in need and other socially disad\antaged groups.

P r iv at e or g an i sat io ns ( s ub sidi sed b! Goy e r nmc n r)I'rincipally responsible for organisation and administration of recretation andholidays, e.g.:BIue Cross-voluntary charityNorwegian Women's Healtli F'cderation-voluntary chirrityNational Federation for Public Health-voluntary charityNorwegian Peoples' aidOther local welfare associations.

:1. Types of People Assisted

YoungFamiliesElderlyI'h),sicall), mentally handicappedSick.

5. Criteria for Assistance

Vary according to type of case. Usually drarvn up by indiviclual organisation.

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6. Form Assistance May Take

a) Dcrtlopment lO puation ol Facil it iesl{oliday Camps for the elderll, l oung and the ph ysicall},/ mentally handrcapped. (crirntsfrom Ministry of Social Affairs, Norwegian Wonrcn's Health Federation). Adultcolleges (Ministrl ' of Education).

b) Subsitlis<d Recrcation and Holitluls- Mediterranean tours for physically handicapped (Ministry of Social Affairs,Norwegian Peoples' Aid).- for deprived ) outh (Ministr)' of Social Affairs, I_oca I Authorities, Nor\r egianWomen's Health Federation).- for deprived housewives and their children (Blue Cross, Norwegian Wonen,s HealthFederation, Norwegian Peoples' Aid).- for the elderly (National Fede ration for public Health, Ministry of Social Affairs).c) Subsitlised TravclAll transport companies run an Flonour Ticket schemc for the elderlv.' Hand icap f rJ in . run oncc annu i l l y hy Norweg ian Sta te Ra i lwa\ . .

d) Holiday MoneJ.,any employee is entitled to hotiday money calculated at 9j per cent of working wages(Holiday Act 1947).

7. Number of People Assisted and Expendiiure

A substantial number of people are covered, and it is relatively well financed.

8. Goyernment P.iority Glyen to Sociat Help

Substantial grants are given by Government, although social tourism is onlv a minorpart of the Country's social and educational programmes.

Yugoslsyla

1. Recognition of Social Tourism

Not nationally recognised as an individual issue. Included in national and regionalregulations concerning ditrerent types of benelit in the social welfare field.

2. Definition of Social Tourism

There is no overall definition, although most sectors which are generally accepted asbeneficiaries of social tourism in Western Europe are encouraged to take holidays andparticipate in recreational activities.

.1. Responsibility forAdministrrtion

Every workers' organisatio n:donates half of the finance for each social services and welfare lund.A dmi nistrat ive and Social S e rv ice s:has a similar fund.S Wc i al i sed A s sociat io ns :Federation of the Blind.Deaf -Mute Association.Association of Muscular DistroDhv_

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4. Types of Pcople Assisted

workersOld age pensionersYouth (deprived and handicapped)Handicapped.

5. Criteris for Assistance

Depends on type of organisation to which a person is amliated, e.g. all workels benefitfrom social tourism within own organisation.

6. Form Assistancc May Trke

a) Development lOperction ol Facilities:Holiday centres, mainly responsibility of cach workers organisation. In 1974,thercwere 92,644 beds in holiday centres and 51,714 beds in youth centres.Spas, health resorts on the coast and inland for physically handicapped, the sick.

b) Subsidised Holidays:for workers in holiday centres (free or reduced through own organisation), old agepensioners, physically handicapped.

c) Holiday Allo,,eance:given to old age pensioners annually that partly covers their holiday expenditure.

d) SubsidisedTruvel

7a Numbers of People Assisted

Yugoslavia's socio-political philosophy allows for all of the population to benefit fromsubsidised tourism.

b) Social tourism expenditure appears to be substantia[ within workers organisationsand central government.

8. Government Priority Given to Social Tourism

Because of its socio-economic system, Yugoslavia might conceivably attach moreimpo ance to social tourism for its population than Western European countries.

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