Disabled children and their families to benefit from additional funding for short breaks

• Thousands of families with children with special educational needs supported with short breaks from theatre trips to outdoor activities helping to build vital skills
• 10 new areas selected to deliver support to families, as promised in the SEND and AP Improvement Plan
• Funding to go towards innovative approaches to short breaks, giving children access to enriching, educational activities that they may otherwise not be able to try

Thousands more families with children with special educational needs will receive support with short breaks, including theatre trips, hiking or craft workshops, as the scheme is expanded to 10 new areas of the country.

The short breaks scheme gives disabled children a chance to take part in activities and develop vitalsskills, while giving their families a break from their caring responsibilities.

The government funded programme provides councils with up to £1 million each for a year to work with families to develop experiences that would otherwise be inaccessible to children because of their disability, as well as covering the costs of providing the activities.

Minister for Children, Families and Wellbeing, Claire Coutinho said:

“Short breaks provide much-needed support to disabled children and their families. They give children opportunities to make friends, learn something new and work towards greater independence, while allowing parents the all-important time they need to recharge.

“We’ve already seen the transformative impact these new approaches to short breaks are having on children and their families, and I am looking forward to continuing this work, extending it to more parts of the country so even more children can benefit.”

The plans come following the recent publication of the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan, which outlines the government’s plan to transform the experiences and outcomes of children with special needs and disabilities, ensuring every child, no matter where they live, has access to a high-quality, fulfilling education.  

The Short Breaks Innovation Fund is delivering a total of £30 million over three years to local authorities to deliver the short breaks and test new approaches to providing essential support for parents of children with disabilities.

Methods already being piloted include creating a transition group for children with SEND to develop independent living skills through group activities, which also create friendship circles that carry through into adult life. Other activities being piloted include sleep-over clubs and film-making workshops to build teamworking skills.

The LAs who will receive new funding this year as part of the second year of the programme are:

• Bristol City Council  
• Cambridgeshire County Council  
• Camden Council 
• Derby City Council 
• Norfolk County Council 
• Nottingham City 
• Plymouth City Council 
• Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council 
• Southwark Council 
• Suffolk County Council  
• Sunderland City Council 
• Surrey County Council 
• Wakefield Council

The first year of funding, which was provided to seven local authorities, showed positive results for children and their families, and this work to pilot new approaches will help inform a national policy for short breaks to be rolled out more widely.

Sunderland Council received funding last year to provide support to children aged 10-16 with Social, Emotional or Mental Health needs (SEMH) or autism.

Teams across early help, alternative provision and disability services deliver whole family sessions, including a parental wellbeing course and sensory arts and craft sessions for non-verbal children with autism.

Sunderland Council’s evaluation shows these interventions have had a significant positive impact on the children involved, including improved attendance and behaviour in schools, and a reduction in suspensions.

ENDS

Notes to editors

• For more information on short breaks, visit:
• • Council for Disabled Children’s website: Short breaks | Council for Disabled Children 
  • Association of Directors for Childrens Services website: SEN and Disability | ADCS
• In the first year of the programme (financial year 22-23), government funded seven local authority projects to deliver innovative approaches to short breaks in addition to their normal provision, across the 0-25 age range.
• For year two of the programme, takes on board feedback that bids should be co-produced with families and set a requirement that all bids must be supported by the local parent carer forum. £10 million is available for grants of up to £1 million to 10-15 local authorities for year two and successful bidders will be announced shortly.