The first question families ask about respite is often simple: what will actually happen while they are there?
They want to know who will meet the young person, how the first evening will work, whether routines will be followed and what happens if they feel unsettled. A list of services rarely answers any of that.
Kickstart provides Short Term Respite / STR for children, young people and young adults aged 8–30. Each stay is planned around the individual. The age range describes who Kickstart supports; NDIS funding and suitability still depend on the person’s circumstances and plan.
If you are considering a stay, you can submit a referral or call 1800 229 736. The first conversation is about fit, support needs and what would help the young person feel settled.
Planning starts before arrival
A useful respite plan is built from the details that shape the young person’s day.
That includes how they communicate, what they enjoy, their food and sensory preferences, medication or personal care requirements, sleep routine, transport arrangements and the people to contact if something changes. The team also needs to understand what tends to make the young person anxious, what helps them regulate and what has worked during previous stays away from home.
Families and care teams should be able to talk openly about the difficult parts. The point is not to make a stay sound perfect on paper. It is to give staff enough information to plan well and reduce avoidable surprises.
The goal may be different for each person. One young person may want a quiet break with familiar routines. Another may want to practise spending a night away from home, cook a meal with support or try an activity around Rye.
Arriving and settling in
Some young people want a full tour as soon as they arrive. Others need a slower start.
Staff might show them where they will sleep, help unpack their things and go over the plan for the stay. A familiar snack, some music or time in a quieter space may matter more than starting an activity straight away.
Plans can change. If the young person arrives tired after school or travel, a busy outing may no longer make sense. Settling in comes first.
That is part of youth-focused support: staff pay attention to the person in front of them rather than forcing the original schedule.
Staying at the Rye respite home
Kickstart’s respite home is in Rye, close to the beach and local community. It is a home setting rather than a clinical environment.
A stay may include time at the beach or park, a walk, fishing, cooking, board games, a local outing or a quiet evening at the house. The location gives staff and the young person options, but a Rye stay does not need to be packed with activities.
A calm morning, choosing breakfast and deciding what to do next can be useful parts of the stay. So can changing plans when the weather turns or the young person has had enough.
The house and nearby activities will not suit everybody in the same way. Support ratios, accessibility, routines and risk considerations need to be discussed before a booking is confirmed.
What happens during the day?
The day is shaped around the young person’s interests, energy and support needs.
There may be a planned community outing. There may also be ordinary home activities such as preparing food, choosing groceries, tidying up after a meal or packing for the trip home. Those moments give staff natural opportunities to support decision making and independence without turning the stay into a lesson.
At Kickstart, we often say, “The activity is the doorway. The relationship is the work.”
Cooking together can open up a conversation. A walk can make it easier to talk side by side. A board game can show how someone handles waiting, frustration or a change in plans. The activity matters, but the relationship around it matters more.
Rest belongs in the plan too. A young person should not have to perform enjoyment for every hour of the stay.
Supporting routines without taking over
Respite can include support with meals, hygiene, medication, sleep, emotional regulation and transitions between activities. The level of help depends on the person’s needs and the agreed support plan.
Good support leaves room for choice. A young person might choose between two meals, help prepare breakfast or decide whether to go out in the morning or later in the day. Staff can step in where needed without doing everything for them.
Independence often grows through ordinary repetition. Making a snack, remembering what to pack and asking for a break may look small from the outside. For the young person, those moments can matter.
What if the young person becomes anxious?
Feeling nervous about a first stay is understandable. Staff should expect that possibility and know what helps before the young person arrives.
The response may involve lowering demands, returning to a familiar routine, offering a quieter activity or giving the young person more time. Staff may use communication strategies agreed with the family and contact the nominated person when the plan says they should.
The aim is to support the person respectfully and plan for safety. It is not to push through an itinerary because it was written down earlier.
A first stay may also be shorter or simpler than later stays. The right starting point depends on the person.
How families and care teams are kept informed
Before the stay, everyone should know who the main contact is, how updates will be shared and what would trigger a phone call.
Some families want a brief message once the young person has settled. Others prefer an update at an agreed time. Support Coordinators may need a summary afterwards, particularly when the stay relates to goals around independence, community participation or sustaining informal care.
Updates should protect the young person’s dignity. They can explain what happened, what helped and what may need to change next time without turning the young person into a list of incidents.
After the stay
The useful question after respite is not whether every minute went to plan.
It is whether the young person felt settled enough, what they enjoyed, where they needed more support and whether another stay would be appropriate. Families should also be able to say whether the arrangements gave them the break they needed.
Sometimes the first stay is mainly about learning. Staff may discover that the evening routine needs more time, a favourite activity works well as a transition, or the young person would prefer fewer plans next time.
That information makes the next stay more personal.
Kickstart’s service language and current NDIS information
Kickstart calls its service Short Term Respite / STR. Current NDIS information uses the term short-term accommodation and explains that it may support eligible participants while the people who usually support them take a short break. You can read the current NDIS information about short-term accommodation.
The name alone does not tell you whether a stay will be funded or suitable. Families and Support Coordinators still need to look at the individual plan, the purpose of the stay, the support being delivered and whether the arrangement suits the young person.
Talk with Kickstart about a respite stay
Kickstart’s mission is: “We exist to inspire hope, create belonging, and unlock potential in young people.”
For respite, that means a stay should feel considered and personal. Families should know what is planned, and the young person should have room to settle in, make choices and be themselves.
To discuss the Rye home or whether a Kickstart respite stay may suit someone you support, submit a referral, contact Kickstart or call 1800 229 736.
Frequently asked questions
What happens during a Short Term Respite stay?
A stay may include support with meals, personal routines, medication, sleep, activities, community outings and time to rest. The details should be agreed before arrival and shaped around the young person’s interests and support needs.
Is Kickstart’s respite home in Melbourne?
Kickstart has a beachside respite home in Rye on the Mornington Peninsula. The exact arrangements, transport, support ratio and suitability are discussed before a stay is confirmed.
Can families receive updates during the stay?
Yes. The contact person, timing of updates and reasons for an immediate call should be agreed during planning.
What if the young person is nervous about staying away from home?
Planning can begin with familiar routines, a visit or meet and greet where suitable, and a simpler first stay. Staff should know what helps the young person communicate and settle before they arrive.
Does being aged 8–30 mean the stay will be funded by the NDIS?
No. Ages 8–30 are Kickstart’s service range. Funding depends on the person’s circumstances, goals, plan and current NDIS requirements. Families should check the individual arrangement with their support coordinator, plan manager or NDIS contact.