Short breaks for disabled children

Family sitting

What is a short break?

Parents of disabled children often provide intensive care around-the-clock and get far less time than other parents to deal with aspects of everyday life.

Short breaks increase the quality of life for disabled children and their families by giving a break from caring for parents and carers or an activity for a child with his/her peers.  They provide disabled children with opportunities to meet new people, make new friends and experience different activities.

Find out more about how we provide short breaks.

Short breaks are available through a social work assessment

Short breaks are available to children who have autism, complex health needs or life limiting conditions, as well as those with significant physical, cognitive and sensory impairments, and associated challenging behaviour.

These are specialist services to support disabled children and their families, over and above the universal mainstream services available to all families.  They meet the needs of families of children with complex needs, following a social work assessment.

In Kent we provide a variety of short breaks for these families and children and young people, including:

  • services in family's own home - including both overnight, day care, and sitting services 
  • day, evening, weekend and holiday activities 
  • foster families who offer both overnight and day care 
  • overnight residential care for children with complex needs 
  • breaks for children requiring palliative care 
  • fuller use of school facilities 
  • age-appropriate activities for young people over 14 years.

You may be offered a Direct Payment to provide this for yourself.

If you would like an assessment for your child you should contact Kent Contact and Assessment Service on 08458 247 247.

Your child can receive a short breaks service even if they do not already receive a service from the Disabled Children’s Service. Find out what local activities are available.

How did we do?

If your child has recently been on one of our short breaks, we would be very grateful if you could take a few minutes to tell us about their experience through our online survey..

Further information about services for disabled children, young people and their families

You can find a wide range of information in five local Resource Directories, recently produced and available as a hard copy or online.  The Directories include information on useful websites, national organisations, local organisations, transport, rights and benefits, aids and equipment, leisure, short breaks, holidays, transition, education, direct payments and health services.

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