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Short Breaks for Disabled Children - Fusion

The Short Breaks Team  at Croxteth Children’s Centre.

Local authorities are required by law to provide short breaks for families with disabled children. Short Breaks are part of the local authority’s ‘Local Offer’ for children with special educational needs and disabilities.

The purpose of this statement is to set out the range of short breaks services, ensuring there is appropriate choice, range and the quality of short breaks to meet the needs of disabled children and their families.

Section 25 of the Children and Young Person’s Act requires local authorities to provide short breaks for families with disabled children. This statement details the range of services available, eligibility, and how families can access this support.

Children and Families Act 2014. – This Act takes forward the government’s commitment to improve services for vulnerable children and support strong families. It came into force on 1st September 2014. It underpins wider reforms to ensure that all children and young people can succeed.  Liverpool is developing a local offer which Short Breaks are part of.  One of the key purposes of the local offer in Liverpool is to ensure involvement of parents, carers, children and young people, early years, schools, colleges and specialist services in Children’s, Adults, Health and Social Care in developing the local offer’. 

Short breaks provide opportunities for disabled children and young people to spend time away from their primary carers. These include day, evening, overnight or weekend activities, and can take place in the child’s own home, the home of an approved carer, residential or community setting.

Short breaks provide disabled children and young people with an opportunity to learn new skills, have fun with and make new friends, and have enjoyable experiences with or without their parents/carers. At the same time they provide families with a break from their caring responsibilities, giving parents/carers a chance to unwind, rest or spend time with other children, and enable parent/carers a right to an ordinary life. 

Liverpool families who were consulted through the Aiming High for Disabled Children programme agreed that a ‘Short break was a break for as little as 2 hours up to and including overnight stays.’

 Every disabled child has the right to access inclusive Short Breaks, and families have clear information about activities and ‘breaks’ available to them.

We aim to meet the needs of disabled children through universal and inclusive settings. This means that every disabled child should be given the opportunity to access local community provision if they want to. For example Brownies, cubs, youth clubs, dance clubs etc. These settings are required to make reasonable adjustments to enable disabled children to access, as required under the Disability Discrimination and Equality Act 2010. 

Before a family can access a Short Break, first we have to make an assessment of what the family needs. To assess the needs of families we use a simple form called a pre – EHAT. This stands for Early Help Assessment Tool which we complete with the family and helps us to assess a child’s needs and strengths. This is a whole family approach which secures a response to need at the earliest opportunity

Whilst the needs of some disabled children and their carers may appear similar, the circumstances of the family and therefore short breaks needs can be very different. Each parent’s/carer’s capacity to provide the care of their disabled child will vary, for example: the carer’s own health needs and wellbeing; other caring responsibilities; support from family and friends; housing, family finances and work patterns. 

To request an assessment a parent or carer just need to contact careline on

0151 233 -3700.

or, you can self refer for SHORT BREAKS ONLY by calling 0151 233 3620

If we think the needs of a disabled child or young person are more complex and may require intensive or statutory intervention, a social care assessment may be undertaken should the child meet the Disabled Children’s Team’s eligibility criteria.

There are different eligibility criteria for Universal, Targeted and Specialist Short Break Services. For details of which criteria may apply to you and your child. Please read the Short Break Offer

Liverpool’s Short Break /Fusion Service.

 

Who to contact

Contact Name
Fusion Short Breaks
Telephone
E-mail
fusion.project@liverpool.gov.uk
Website
www.liverpool.gov.uk/

Where to go

Name
Croxteth Children's Centre
Address
Parkstile Lane
Liverpool
Postcode
L11 0BQ

Time / Date Details

When is it on
Office opening hours 8.30am till 4.45pm
Time of day
Afternoon
Evening
Morning

Other Details

Costs

Please contact provider for cost details.
Offering Tax Free Childcare.

Availability

Referral required
Yes
Referral Details

Parent/Carers can self-refer to the service.

Local Offer

Local Offer Age Bands
Young Adults (16 to 25)
Primary (5 to 11)
Secondary (11 to 16)
Early Years (0 to 5)
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