main content Breaks for children with disabilities and their carers

Short-term breaks ensure that children with special needs and their parents or carers can take a break when they need to. These breaks are planned in advance and are not for use in emergencies. Emergency care is provided in other ways.

Who could benefit from/use this service?

Children with special needs living in the Bromley Borough and their parents, carers and families.

For more information about social services support and eligibility for services please select the links to Social Services Support for Children with Disabilities and Social Services Support for Children and Families

Details

Short-term break services aim to provide:

• children with special needs with a break from their normal environment;
• families with a break if they are caring for a child or young person with special needs;
• an opportunity for parents or carers of a child with special needs to spend more time with other children in the family.

There are a range of short-term break services available. The type, length and frequency of the breaks will depend on the needs of the child and the family or carer. Short-term break services include:

• outreach support;
• specialist childminding ;
• placements with other families ;
• placements within residential units including those run jointly by Bromley Council and the Bromley Primary Care Trust.

Care Break vouchers may also be available. For further information please see Support and Information for Carers.

Costs

There is no charge for advice, information or assessment from social services although you may need to contribute towards the cost of the services you require. This will depend on your financial circumstances and will be fully explained to you before any care is arranged.

Next Steps

To access these services you can either:

1. Contact the Children’s Disability Team and ask for the duty social worker to assess your needs and those of your child and family (see contact details below), or
2. apply for some services directly yourself. You can get further information from your health visitor, Bromley Mencap   website (www.bromleymencap.org)  or Carers Bromley website (www.carersbromley.org.uk)

Contacts

Children’s Disability Team, Bromley Social Services
Telephone:  020 8461 7777
Minicom:  020 8464 7350
Assistance is available on this number from 8.30am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday.
  
If this is your first contact with Social Services OR you  already receive services and your circumstances change OR there is an emergency then your first point of contact should be through the number above.