Short breaks for children

A short break can give disabled children and young people the opportunity to have an enjoyable experience with or without their parents or carer. It can also give parents and carers a break by providing an extra pair of hands to make everyday things possible.

The break can take the form of:

• daytime support in the home or elsewhere;
• overnight support in the home or elsewhere;
• leisure activities outside the home;
• assistance for carers in the evenings, at weekends and during school holidays.

The break can last anything from a couple of hours to days. The length and type of break will depend on the needs and aspirations of your child, the impact that disability has on family life and the age of your child.

How can I apply for a Short Break?

We have many opportunities available for children with SEND through direct access such as the Play Development Service and Calderdale Disability Sport etc. These services are funded by Short Breaks and there is no requirement for you to fill in any forms or go to panel for these activities. (This is also known as Universal and Targeted Services. Please see the Leisure section and Family Services Directory for activities taking place locally). You can access these by speaking with the venue or organiser.

If your child is unable to access or requires more support than universal and targeted activities are able to offer, you can complete a Short Breaks application form. We ask you to fill in a form so that the panel has an overall picture of your child’s needs and daily life. There are two ways you can request a Short Break:

• Self referral form - Short Breaks [PDF 146KB]

For a printed form, contact:

• your local Children’s Centres;
• Calderdale’s Local Offer;
• Unique Ways;
• Family Voice Calderdale;
• The Short Breaks Panel Administrator;
• or your child’s school.

If you are completing the form online you can also access the Parent-Carer Needs Assessment [PDF 252KB] form here.

• Key worker - If you are working with a Social Worker, Behaviour Nurse or Family Support Worker, they may be the best person to help you through the process.

To see the feedback we have had on short breaks previously, read: Short Breaks survey results 2015-2016 [PDF 351KB]

• Disability Sport Update April-June 2016 [PDF 172KB]
• Disability Sport Summer Events Update 2016 [PDF 156KB]

Holiday cottage at Jerusalem Farm

Sometimes a short break can be about getting away as a family.

Calderdale Council has converted the barn at Jerusalem Farm (the camp site near Booth village) into specially adapted accommodation where disabled children and young people and their families can enjoy holidays together. The Council decided on the conversion following detailed consultation with the parents and carers of disabled children, with the support of the Calderdale Parent and Carers' Council, when a need was identified for some form of holiday accommodation to provide a break for families.

For more details, see: Holiday cottage .

Short breaks service statement

This statement has been prepared in partnership with Calderdale Family Voice. We are committed to continuous improvement, so welcome feedback from parent and carers to add to any review. To see the statement and more, read: Short Breaks statement [PDF 194KB], Services Circles [PDF 76KB] and Short breaks criteria [PDF 147KB].

Short Breaks into the Future

We will hold a series of consultations with parents / carers and young people who use Short Breaks in the near future. We want to know what we can do better and where the needs are for future short breaks.

For more details, email: Short.BreaksBrokerage@calderdale.gov.uk .

Contact

There are different ways to find out about short breaks:

• contact the Disabled Children Family Link Co-ordinator for further details on 01422 394096 or 07775 110188;
• a professional who works with your child (social worker, community nurse, family support worker or someone else who you trust) will also be able to find out information for you;
• ask another parent! Parents tell us that speaking to each other is one of the best ways of finding out about opportunities. If you would like to be put in touch with another parent, phone: 01422 343090 (Unique Ways) or email hi@uniqueways.org.uk .

For more details or to give feedback on short breaks, contact: