Choosing respite for a young person can feel like a big decision.
Families and carers often want a break, but they also want to know the young person will be safe, understood and supported by people who genuinely know how to connect with them. Support Coordinators and care teams want to know the provider can communicate clearly, manage risk, and create an experience that supports the participant’s goals.
That is why good respite should never feel like simply “placing” a young person somewhere for a few days.
Done well, Short Term Respite can give young people a positive change of environment, opportunities to build independence, and a chance to experience connection, calm, fun and growth — while their usual informal supports get time to rest and reset.
At Kickstart Youth Services, our respite approach is guided by our mission:
“We exist to create belonging, inspire hope and unlock purpose in young people.”
For us, respite is not just accommodation. It is relationship-based support, built around the young person.
What does Short Term Respite mean?
The NDIS has historically used the term Short Term Accommodation, often shortened to STA. More recently, NDIS language has shifted toward Short Term Respite, or STR, because the purpose of this support is broader than accommodation.
In plain English, Short Term Respite gives a participant time apart from their usual care arrangements. It also gives primary informal supports — such as parents, family members or carers — a short break so they can continue in their caring role.
For young people, respite may include:
- a short stay away from home
- support from trained staff or mentors
- activities matched to the young person’s interests
- opportunities to build confidence and independence
- social connection
- rest and routine
- support with personal needs, medication or daily living where required
- time for carers and families to recharge
The best respite experiences are safe, planned, personal and youth-focused.
Why respite matters for families and carers
Caring responsibilities can be rewarding, but they can also be demanding.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that there were 3.0 million carers in Australia in 2022, representing 11.9% of Australians living in households. The same ABS release reported 391,300 young carers under the age of 25, up from 235,300 in 2018.
These numbers matter because caring is not a small or rare part of Australian life. Many families are doing complex, ongoing support work every day.
Short Term Respite can help by giving carers time to rest, attend to their own health and wellbeing, support other family responsibilities, reset after periods of stress, and maintain their caring role over time.
For families, the goal is not just a break. It is a break they can actually feel comfortable taking.
Why respite matters for young people
Respite should also be positive for the young person.
For some young people, respite offers a change of scenery, new experiences, time with positive role models, opportunities to practise independence, social connection, and memories that feel fun, calm and meaningful.
At Kickstart, we believe young people need more than supervision. Our induction approach says:
“Your role goes beyond supervising young people — it’s about fostering growth, offering guidance, and providing genuine emotional support.”
That applies strongly to respite.
A young person may arrive unsure, anxious or hesitant. The work is not to force them into a packed schedule. The work is to build trust, understand what helps them feel safe, and create a respite experience that feels manageable, meaningful and positive.
What good youth-focused respite should include
A sense of safety
Families need to know the young person is in safe hands. Good respite includes planning, supervision, risk awareness, communication, appropriate boundaries and staff who understand the young person’s needs. Safety is not just about avoiding problems. It is about creating an environment where the young person can relax.
Kickstart’s internal child-safety commitment is clear:
“The safety, wellbeing and rights of young people are our highest priority.”
A personalised plan
No two young people need the same respite experience. Some want outdoor adventures. Some prefer quiet activities, gaming, movies, board games, beach walks or familiar routines. Some need support with personal care, emotional regulation, medication routines, sensory needs or structured downtime.
Good respite starts by asking what helps this young person feel safe, what they enjoy, what their goals are, what routines matter, what triggers stress or overwhelm, and what the family or care team needs the provider to know.
Positive role models
Young people often respond strongly to staff who are consistent, practical and relatable. In respite, positive role modelling can look like cooking together, planning an outing, managing transitions calmly, encouraging self-care, modelling respectful communication, or helping a young person try something new.
Activities with purpose
Activities are not just entertainment. They can create opportunities for confidence, connection and life skills. Depending on the young person, respite activities might include hiking, kayaking, fishing, camping-style experiences, beach walks, board games, cooking, movies, fitness, local outings, outdoor adventures, quiet downtime, or group-based social opportunities where appropriate.
The activity should fit the young person — not the other way around.
Communication with families and care teams
Respite works best when families and care teams know what is happening. Good communication includes gathering information before the stay, understanding routines, preferences and risks, communicating important updates, documenting progress or concerns appropriately, and following up when needed.
For Support Coordinators, this is often one of the key differences between a provider who simply delivers hours and a provider who genuinely contributes to the young person’s support network.
What respite can look like at Kickstart
Kickstart’s respite is designed to be youth-focused, practical and relational.
Depending on the young person’s needs and preferences, respite may involve a calm place to stay, trusted mentors and trained staff, support with daily routines, meaningful recreational activities, opportunities to build independence, support to regulate and reset, connection with peers where appropriate, outdoor experiences and local activities, and communication with families and care teams.
Kickstart’s Respite & STA page describes the approach as tailored to each young person’s needs, preferences and personality — not just their plan.
That matters because young people are more than their funding category or support needs. They are individuals with interests, strengths, worries, goals and potential.
What families often worry about before respite
It is normal for families and carers to ask: Will my young person be safe? Will staff understand their needs? What if they become anxious or overwhelmed? Will they be pressured to do activities they do not want to do? How will medication or routines be handled? Will I be updated if something changes? What should they bring? Will they enjoy it?
These questions are not barriers. They are part of good planning.
Families should feel comfortable asking questions before respite begins. A good provider should be able to talk through the plan, explain how the young person will be supported, and communicate clearly about what to expect.
For Support Coordinators: when respite may be useful
Short Term Respite may be worth exploring when a young person needs time apart from usual care arrangements, has family or carers who need a planned break, would benefit from building independence outside the home, needs a positive experience with trusted mentors, is socially isolated or has limited opportunities, may benefit from structured activities and routine, or is working toward NDIS goals around independence, wellbeing, social participation or daily living.
As always, suitability depends on the participant’s plan, goals, support needs and funding. The referral conversation should clarify what is reasonable, necessary and appropriate for the young person.
How to prepare for a first respite stay
Families and care teams can help by sharing routines and sleep preferences, food preferences and allergies, medication information and authorisations, sensory needs, communication preferences, triggers or worries, interests and activities the young person enjoys, what helps them settle, behaviour support strategies if relevant, and emergency contacts and care-team details.
The more the provider understands the young person, the more personalised and reassuring the respite experience can be.
Respite should feel personal, not generic
The best respite experiences are built on trust.
For a young person, that trust might come from a staff member remembering their favourite activity, giving them time to settle, helping them cook a meal, creating a calm plan for the day, or encouraging them to try something new without pressure.
For a family, trust might come from knowing the team communicates, plans carefully and understands the responsibility they are carrying.
For a Support Coordinator, trust might come from seeing clear communication, appropriate documentation and a service model that fits the young person’s goals.
That is what youth-focused respite should aim for.
Ready to explore Short Term Respite?
Kickstart supports children, young people and young adults aged 8–30 through youth mentoring and community access, group activities and camps, and Short Term Respite.
If you are a parent, carer, Support Coordinator or care team member looking for respite that is safe, personal and built around the young person, we would be happy to talk.
Not sure whether Short Term Respite is the right fit? Kickstart can talk through the young person’s needs, routines, goals and support preferences before referral.
Submit a referral: https://www.kickstartvic.com.au/referral
Call: 1800 229 736
FAQs
Is STA the same as Short Term Respite?
STA stands for Short Term Accommodation. The NDIS has increasingly used the term Short Term Respite because it better describes the purpose of the support: giving participants time apart from usual care arrangements while informal supports take a break.
Who is Short Term Respite for?
Short Term Respite may be suitable for participants who need time away from usual care arrangements, who are working toward independence or social participation goals, or whose family or carers need a planned break. Suitability depends on the participant’s needs, goals and NDIS plan.
What age group does Kickstart support?
Kickstart supports children, young people and young adults aged 8–30.
What happens during respite?
Respite may include support with daily routines, activities, recreation, social connection, rest, personal care or goal-focused experiences. At Kickstart, the experience is tailored to the young person’s needs, preferences and personality.
Can families ask questions before respite begins?
Yes. Families and care teams should ask questions and share important information before a stay. Good respite planning relies on understanding the young person’s routines, interests, support needs, risks and preferences.
Is respite funded by the NDIS?
Short Term Respite may be funded through an NDIS plan when it is reasonable and necessary and connected to the participant’s goals and support needs. Families and Support Coordinators should check the participant’s plan.