What are short breaks
Short breaks are for children with disabilities and their families. A short break might include carer support in the community, group activities such as after school or holidays clubs. The support can include for example personal care, support with independence skills, or for sports or play activities.
To access short breaks children, need to be under 18 years old, be resident in H&F and have a physical or mental impairment that has a 'substantial' and 'long-term' negative effect on their ability to do everyday activities. The council has a duty to provide short breaks where an assessment identifies they are necessary to meet the needs of the child and their family.
From October 2024 to January 2025 the Short Breaks service run a consultation in co-production with the short breaks' consultation steering group which was made up of parents of children with disabilities and professionals from schools, health and provider organisations.
The aim of the consultation was to ask families what they want and need from short breaks so the council can organise the budget to better meet those needs. Providers also participated to support future planning and share their views.
The consultation work included a presentation created in partnership with the Short Breaks co-production group and the consultation was conducted through surveys and meetings to collect feedback. It was promoted in specialist schools, family hubs and direct communications with families using the service.
Consultation details
Consultation questions were focussed on:
- family's experience of short breaks
- whether breaks met their needs and how they can be improved
- locations, activity and interest type
- when activities are on offer and
- whether providers were able to accommodate the needs of children.
In total the consultation reached 189 individuals (158 through the local offer web pages, 31 in-person and on-line meetings). This was made up of 163 parents, carers or other unidentified interested parties, 19 children and 7 providers.
The parents who responded identified that their children were between ages 0-18 and have a range of different needs and disabilities.
Feedback was gathered through discussions and individual positive and constructive feedback from families, children, and service providers as well as surveys.
Consultation key findings and council response
Finding: Families currently using short breaks are happy with the quality of the support they receive.
Finding: Families want more options for children with autism, sensory, communication needs and challenging behaviour.
Finding: Families request additional options for ages 0–8, especially on weekends and holidays.
Finding: Families want more short breaks especially during school summer holidays and at weekends.
Finding: Families request a variety of short break options: sports, arts, social clubs, and support with social skills such as shopping, self-care, maintaining friendships and social connections.
Council response: We have started speaking with existing and potential new providers locally to further develop the local offer.
Finding: What is available, needs to be clear on the Local Offer.
Council response: The Short Breaks service collaborated with the Local Offer on a new page about activities for SEND that was launched in January 2025. We continue to work together to maintain clear and accurate information about support options available locally.
Finding: Some families reported delays in short breaks processes; referrals, starting and completing assessments and/ or availability of places at holiday and weekend clubs, particularly at The Stephen Wiltshire Centre.
Council response: The service is recruiting additional staff to add capacity to prevent delays and improve service delivery. This is alongside working to develop the offer not directly delivered by the council.
Finding: There were no specific locations issues highlighted by families in relation to short breaks.
Consultation quotes from families
He is ‘happy and excited to attend the activity and this means a break to mom and dad as carers and working professionals. This is fundamental to our health as we get older.’
‘I think it is something really great.’ (re: the short break they attended)
‘My child is almost 11 and I have never been told about Short Breaks, no one has alerted me to it. So how would any parent/carer with a child with disabilities hear about it?’
It would help ‘having more inclusive activities where there is a 1:1 person with the child in an environment.’
‘Short breaks help our child to get away from the name calling, poor housing conditions and hate abuse in our community.’
‘Music Youth Group with Action on Disability on Wednesdays please’
Recommendations and next actions
The Short breaks resource manager along with a steering group and relevant others from the local offer and commissioning teams will:
- co-produce and implement a plan to meet future local short breaks need
- update the Short Breaks statement document and the Local Offer pages; including information about referrals, assessment process and clarifying what the Short Breaks offer includes
- seek legal advice to review the core offer and how the council decide which team children are allocated to for assessments. (Guidance for the allocation for assessment and support of children with disabilities in H&F).
Engaging with the next steps
If you are interested in being part of a steering group to help us develop a revised local short break offer, please contact becky.powell@lbhf.gov.uk