Short breaks provide opportunities for disabled children and young people to access universal/mainstream sessions such as after school clubs, activity groups, clubs and day care settings enabling them to spend time away from their primary carers. This also benefits parents and carers too, by giving them valuable time away from their caring responsibilities.
Short breaks may also include specialist sessions for children and young people with more complex needs and can include both day and overnight provision.
They give children and young people the chance to develop new friendships, take part in new experiences and to have fun doing positive activities.
The Breaks for Carers of Disabled Children Regulations 2011 set out the local authority’s duty towards carers of disabled children and young people.
The regulations require each local authority to produce a Short Breaks statement so that families know:
- What services are available
- The eligibility criteria for these services
- How the range of services is designed to meet the needs of families with disabled children in their area
For further information about short breaks for disabled children, please visit Portsmouth Local Offer.