WellBeing Breaks
UNISON Welfare is a unique service offering confidential advice and support exclusively for UNISON members and their families.
We are aware of the pressures on UNISON members and the many obstacles to achieving a happy and healthy work life balance. Our wellbeing breaks can provide welcome relief from the stresses of daily life and the space and time to reflect away from difficult or depressing circumstances. We can help with all or part of the costs of a break depending on your financial situation.
The wellbeing breaks include:
- Family holidays and outings.
- Get well breaks.
- Breaks in special circumstances (for example for carers, or following bereavement).
Get Well Breaks
A break, following illness can help with rest and recovery and the transition back to work or improved health for the retired. Our get well breaks are designed to support any members with or without children, or their dependants, who are recovering from illness (including stress), accident or an operation and who are not in need of nursing care.
We recognise that ill health can sometimes impact on the whole family and that there will be occasions when it will be beneficial for everyone to get away together. We offer several types of break to suit different needs - and cover short breaks/one week/convalescent centre/choice etc. The service is flexible depending on your needs with a choice of accommodation such as hotels and guest houses or traditional convalescent facilities and shorter breaks.
Family Holidays
They are designed to provide a week’s holiday for members and their families who are experiencing difficult circumstances and who have not had a holiday for at least four years.
We offer several types of holiday to suit different family needs including shorter breaks of three or four nights duration and support for kids summer camps and day trips and leisure outings.
The holidays are delivered in partnership with the Family Holiday Association, a national charity that specialises in providing holidays for families in need. For example, they can arrange a stay in self-catering accommodation in a chalet or caravan at selected UK holiday centres (see map). Alternatively, you can organise accommodation of your own choosing in the UK.
UNISON Welfare defines a 'family' to comprise dependant children who are in full-time education aged 3-18 years or who have special needs and those with day to day responsibility for their care such as parents (including same sex parents), grandparents or older siblings. Please note, with the exception of summer camps, an application is for the whole family, not for family members to go on their own.
You can get further information and an application form from the national UNISON website.