Do you know about SHORT BREAKS and the offer in Solihull?
Short breaks are part of a continuum of services which support children in need and their families. They include the provision of day, evening, overnight and weekend activities for the child or young person, and can take place in the child’s own home, the home of an approved carer, or in a residential or community setting.
Most users of short breaks are disabled children and their families but non-disabled children in need may also receive short breaks. This guidance applies to disabled children and other children in need. The breaks usually have two aims: to enable the child to participate in fun, interesting and safe activities; and to provide a break from caring for the parents
In Solihull most of the short break services involve the child or young person taking part in an activity without their parent carer present.
You do not need to undergo a social care assessment for targeted short breaks provided by SoLO or those funded through Short Breaks Grants, you just need to show confirmation of eligibility- this can be ANY of the following:
– the child/young person receives middle or high rate disability living allowance, or any personal independence payment,
– they have an EHC or a Social Care Assessment showing a relevant need or
– they have a letter from a relevant professional (GP, consultant, SENCO etc) confirming the child/young persons needs mean that they require targeted services.
Short Breaks should either cost equivalent to, or less than the cost of a comparable activity available for children and young people without a disability- the Council subsidises the cost to ensure this happens.
If short breaks provided don’t meet your child or young person’s needs then if social care assess that there is a need, there may be the option to have a personal budget to buy support.
If you would like to find out more about Short Breaks in Solihull, if you click the below link you can find information on short breaks, the Solihull Short Breaks Statement and also information about SoLO and the organisations who hold Short Breaks Grants for 2024.