Once you have completed your application online your chosen short breaks provider(s) will contact you and ask you to show proof of your eligibility.
Your application can not be approved until this has been confirmed.
This is family-based care that provides short breaks to disabled children and young people from 4 - 18 years of age. Carers are from a wide variety of backgrounds and can be individuals or couples, male or female, with or without children and may have pets, some carers work others may be retired.
All carers will have completed training before they are approved, will have a DBS and will continue to have regular supervision and training updates from members of the shared care team. When a service is offered, each carer is closely matched to fit the needs of the child.
The breaks can be provided:
- in the child’s home as a sitting service to enable parents to go out / have some free time
- as day care in the carers home
- out in the community to access activities.
The support (40 hours a year) can be used flexibly depending upon the availability of the carer and negotiated between the family and carer to include weekdays, weekends or during the school holidays.
This service provides peace of mind for parents, knowing their child is being properly looked after whilst away from them. It also provides the child / young person with some independence and gives them the opportunity to have fun, develop new relationships and access the community.
Some young people with disabilities and complex health needs, may be eligible for a residential short break especially if they require support throughout the night.
Children and young people can stay overnight during the week and/or at weekends depending on their assessed needs, spending time away from their main carers. A residential short break may be provided in a community residential setting or the home of an approved carer.
Our Overnight Short Breaks (OSB) providers are currently working hard to welcome families back. Our providers have introduced a number of changes to keep the children, young people and staff safe. The OSB settings are following Government and Public Health guidelines, including:
- social distancing
- strict hygiene and cleaning practices
- use of personal protective equipment (PPE)
- staff training.
Our OSB providers are working with families to provide the rest of the year's OSB allocations, but will have difficulties accommodating all returning families if they request their OSB allocations that they have not used during lock down. What we can provide this year is also obviously subject to a second wave of the virus.
In addition, we are ensuring the safe return of children and young people to overnight short breaks, by restricting extended stays to 4 nights. Parents/carers must remain in the UK during this time, so that should things change parents/carers can return home without delay.
How do I get a residential short break?
A residential short break is a specialist service, available only once a social work assessment of need has been completed. This assessment would be arranged via a referral through the 0-25 Together Service.
Where they are: