Short breaks
What are short breaks?
Short breaks can provide opportunities for children and young people with disabilities to have enjoyable experiences away from their primary carers, contributing to their social inclusion and personal and social development. They also provide the parents and carers of children and young people with a disability a necessary and valuable break from their caring responsibilities.
Short breaks can include day, evening, overnight, weekend or holiday activities. They can take place in the child or young person’s own home, in the home of an approved carer, and a residential or community setting. Short breaks range from supporting children and young people with disabilities to access a break ranging from those within a universal setting to specialist services at a local level.
Short breaks:
- are intended to give children and young people the chance to do something they enjoy
- should always meet the individual support needs of the child
- should be available for families before they reach a crisis
- can be anything from an hour-long activity at a youth club up to a few nights away from home
- can be used to allow parents and carers to attend training, to spend time with other family members or to enjoy leisure or social activities themselves
- should focus on achieving positive outcomes for the child or young person and their family
Different levels of short breaks
Child or Young Person has been shortened to CYP for the purposes of this information
Universal services
Description: Activities available to all CYP in Bromley whether they are disabled or not
Current examples: After school and holiday clubs. Guiding and scouting organisations. Leisure centres, children and family centres
How to access: All CYP with disabilities services should have access to these services but may need reasonable adjustments to be made to facilitate their inclusion in some activities
Assessment needed? No, unless the CYP needs additional support to access services
Targeted universal services
Description: Activities specifically suitable for disabled CYP
Current examples: CASPA, Family Link. Maypole Project, Bromley Mencap, BCFF and SEND HAF Schemes
How to access: Typically, parents/carers can contact the service directly and arrange for their CYP to attend Provider’s information and application forms indicate appropriateness of the resource
Assessment needed? No, unless the CYP needs additional support to access services
Specialist services
Description: Activities for disabled CYP with the most complex needs who are unable to access Universal or Targeted Provision
Current examples: Refer to Different types of specialist short breaks in Bromley
How to access: Due to their specialist nature, there is an assessment process managed by the Children’s Disability Team to access these services
Assessment needed? Yes
Different types of specialist short breaks in Bromley
The specialist short break services that are currently available in Bromley include:
Direct payments
A direct payment is an amount of money which is provided to families instead of the council co-ordinating a short break service on their behalf.
Families can use this money to purchase activities or to employ a support worker, also known as a Personal Assistant (PA) to enable their children and young people to access activities. The specific use of this money must be agreed with the Children with Disabilities Service in advance and recipients will be required to evidence how it has been spent.
Payments are made monthly as agreed with the family. Support is available to assist families to set up/arrange their service and to manage these payments.
Find out further information about direct payments in Bromley.
Saturday and holiday schemes
Saturday and holiday schemes are based in venues where groups of children and young people can access a range of activities and facilities on one site. Current providers include: Lighthouse club at Riverside School, Bromley Children and Families Forum, Family Link and Sport Works.
Overnight short breaks
Hollybank short break residential centre
Hollybank provides short breaks to children and young people, aged 5 to 18 with disabilities, complex health care needs, autism and/or challenging behaviour. Children and young people must have a need for overnight care. On rare occasions in order to aid transition to adult services some young people aged over 18 may be accommodated on a time-limited basis. Learn more at: Hollybank - specialist short break service - Bromley Healthcare
Family-based overnight short breaks
Family-based overnight short breaks are provided by an approved foster carer in the foster carer’s home.
Overnight support in the home
We are able to provide overnight support from care agencies in children and young people’s family home.
All of the above short breaks may be provided on a time-limited basis and are also therefore subject to regular reviews.
It is possible that families may receive support from more than one service, dependent upon their assessed needs.
How Bromley will develop and support participation and active involvement
Short breaks are planned, commissioned and evaluated in joint partnership with parents and carers. The Integrated Strategic Commissioner also works closely with providers and potential providers to ensure that the council commissions services of the highest possible quality that meet identified needs but remain within a cost-effective framework.
Parent/carers
The children, young people and parent SEND lead facilitates the tendering and evaluation of short break services by identifying representatives from Your Voice in Health and Social Care and the Bromley Parent Carer Forum or other parent/carers to participate in short breaks commissioning activities.
Parent representatives also attend various strategic and operational groups within the council.