Samarth - Respite Care Scheme (The National Trust)

What is the Samarth - Respite Care Scheme?

Samarth is a respite and residential care scheme run by The National Trust, a statutory body under the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment. Samarth sets up Samarth Centres that provide group-home care for persons with disability, giving their families short-term respite and providing longer-term residential care for those who are orphaned, abandoned or destitute.

According to The National Trust, Samarth is a centre-based scheme for residential services, both short-term respite care and prolonged stay, for persons with the four disabilities defined under the National Trust Act, 1999. The scheme focuses on persons with disability from Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Low Income Group (LIG) families, so that a lack of family means does not leave them without care.

Key objectives

• Provide respite to families of persons with disability so they can attend to other responsibilities.
• Offer group-home residential care for orphans, abandoned and destitute persons with disability.
• Ensure quality care, including basic medical care, in a safe home-like setting.

Main features

• Centre-based scheme run through organisations registered with The National Trust.
• Covers autism, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability and multiple disabilities.
• Prioritises BPL and LIG families, single-parent families and families in crisis.
• The benefit is a care service in a group home, not a cash transfer to individuals.

Who is eligible for Samarth respite care?

A person with disability can be enrolled if:

• They have autism, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability (mental retardation) or multiple disabilities as defined under the National Trust Act, 1999.
• They belong to a Below Poverty Line or Low Income Group family. The National Trust defines Low Income Group as a household income up to the state's BPL limit plus an additional 50 percent of that limit.
• They are an orphan, abandoned or destitute person with these disabilities, a person from a single-parent family, or from a family facing a crisis needing respite.

Under the scheme norms, a new beneficiary who is not an adult (18 years or above) BPL person or an orphan is not funded by The National Trust for a recurring and non-recurring grant. BPL beneficiaries are given first priority for funded seats, and Low Income Group beneficiaries are taken in as places allow.

You cannot apply for a personal cash benefit under Samarth:

• Samarth is not a cash-transfer scheme: individuals and families are not eligible to receive a direct cash benefit. The support flows to registered organisations that run Samarth Centres, and families receive the care service.
• Organisations that are not registered with The National Trust, lack the required experience, or are blacklisted are not eligible to run a Samarth Centre.

For families, the practical route is to enrol the person with disability at a Samarth Centre run by a registered organisation, where they receive the residential or respite care service.

What documents are required for Samarth?

How to apply for Samarth care (families)

1. Identify a registered organisation running a Samarth Centre near you, The National Trust lists its registered organisations on thenationaltrust.gov.in.
2. Approach the Samarth Centre with the disability certificate, income proof and age proof of the person with disability.
3. Allow the centre to carry out an individual assessment of the person's needs by its therapists and counsellors.
4. Complete the enrolment formalities at the centre for short-term respite or longer residential care.
5. The registered organisation delivers the care service and draws the scheme grant from The National Trust, you do not receive a cash benefit directly.

How an organisation runs a Samarth Centre

1. Ensure the organisation is registered with The National Trust and has at least two years of experience working with persons with disability.
2. Arrange suitable premises that are owned or held on a long lease, meeting the scheme's group-home norms.
3. Apply to The National Trust in the prescribed format with the application fee to be empanelled as a Samarth Centre.
4. On approval, receive the setup and recurring grants and run the group home as per the scheme's care and staffing norms.

How much support does Samarth provide?

Samarth is delivered as a care service, funded through grants to registered organisations rather than cash to individuals. According to The National Trust's scheme norms, a registered organisation receives a one-time non-recurring setup grant of about Rs 2.9 lakh to establish a Samarth Centre, and a recurring grant of about Rs 5,000 per beneficiary per month to run the group home. The recurring grant is paid from the first month of operation for every eligible person with disability at the centre. The National Trust funds the centre for a month only if the number of enrolled persons with disability reaches at least 30 percent of the expected batch size, which prevents money going to near-empty centres.

The value to a family is the residential or respite care itself. A safe group home with trained caregivers and basic medical care — which allows family members time to meet their other responsibilities. The exact grant norms are set by The National Trust and revised from time to time, so organisations should confirm the current figures with The National Trust before applying.

How is a Samarth Centre organised?

A Samarth Centre is built around a batch size of 30 persons with disability, with the norms allowing up to about 39 residents to account for an overage margin. The centre must meet the scheme's staffing pattern so that residents get real care rather than mere custody. According to the scheme guidelines, each centre is expected to employ two special educators, one physiotherapist or occupational therapist, three caregivers, two ayas and one cook, with a physical trainer and speech therapist listed as desirable additions.

Because the disabilities covered, autism, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability and multiple disabilities, often need lifelong support, Samarth is designed to offer both short-term respite (a family leaves the person in safe care for a limited period) and prolonged residential stay for those who are orphaned, abandoned or destitute. The care package includes lodging, food, basic medical care from professional doctors, and day-to-day support suited to each resident's assessed needs.

What should a family check before enrolling?

• Whether the centre is a registered National Trust organisation. Only a registered organisation can run a genuine Samarth Centre and draw the scheme grant; enrolment elsewhere carries no protection.
• The person's category, BPL, orphan or LIG; because funded seats go first to adult BPL persons and orphans, and this decides whether the stay is grant-funded.
• The documents needed; disability certificate, income or BPL proof, and age proof, kept ready before approaching the centre.
• The care plan and visiting arrangements, so the family understands what respite or residential support the person will actually get.
• That no capitation or donation is demanded beyond the scheme's own norms, since Samarth care for eligible beneficiaries is funded by The National Trust.

Help and guidance

• National Disability Information Helpline (DEPwD): 14456 for information on disability schemes.
• 24x7 Autism Helpline: 1800-11-7776.
• The National Trust at thenationaltrust.gov.in lists registered organisations and Samarth Centres.

Note: This Samarth scheme for persons with disability is run by The National Trust and is different from the Samarth textile-skilling scheme of the Ministry of Textiles. Families seeking respite care should contact a registered National Trust organisation, and no fee is charged to be enrolled for the care service beyond the scheme's own norms.