What are Short Breaks?
Short Breaks offer a range of creative, flexible, fun play and leisure activities in local communities for children and young people who have additional needs and disabilities (AN and D). The purpose of Short Breaks is to:
- Develop the skills, confidence, independence and readiness for adulthood of children and young people (CYP) with AN&D and enable them to have fun and make friends
- Improve their emotional and physical health, as well as their ability to communicate their feelings and preferences and their social skills, both through their relationships with other children and through developing supportive and trusting relationships with adults – thereby also supporting positive behaviour.
- Support positive outcomes for parents, by providing parents and carers with breaks from their caring responsibilities, so they are empowered to look after their own emotional and physical health and wellbeing and provide better and more sustainable care to other family members.
- Support positive outcomes for whole families, including greater family cohesion and improved relationships.
Below is some summary information about the Play and Leisure Short Breaks services currently available.
Information about Short Breaks and other community activities for children and young people with disabilities is also available on the Family Information Directory.
Provider: Challengers
Delivery areas: Guildford, Waverley
Primary needs supported: All additional needs and disabilities including complex needs
More information: Disability Challengers play
Disability Challengers youth
Provider: LinkAble
Delivery areas: Woking
Primary needs supported: All additional needs and disabilities including complex needs, Autism
More information: LinkAble
Provider: Rainbow Trust
Delivery areas: Surrey wide
Primary needs supported: Complex health needs
More information: Rainbow Trust South East team
Provider: White Lodge
Delivery areas: Elmbridge, Runnymede
Primary needs supported: All additional needs and disabilities including complex needs, Autism, Complex health needs
More information: White Lodge Centre play and youth clubs
Provider: YMCA East Surrey
Delivery areas: Epsom & Ewell, Mole Valley, Reigate & Banstead, Tandridge
Primary needs supported: All additional needs and disabilities including complex needs, Autism
More information: YMCA East Surrey disability activities
Provider: National Autistic Society (NAS)
Delivery area: Waverley
Primary needs supported: Autism
More information: NAS Surrey clubs for children
Provider: Sight for Surrey
Delivery areas: Surrey wide activities
Primary needs supported: Visual impairment
More information: Sight for Surrey
Please note that families from across Surrey can access services in any area of Surrey – the delivery areas above are where services are based.
If you have any questions about Short Breaks, or about the information in this statement, you can email the Children, Families and Lifelong Learning Commissioning Team.
If you require other services, such as Direct Payments, Overnight Short Breaks or residential care, these are subject to assessment. Your child's social worker, if they have one, can advise further. For more details about these services and the assessment process, please visit the Children's Services pages of the Local Offer site.
Surrey Short Breaks Statement
Each local authority must publish a statement about Short Breaks services in their area, so that families with disabled children need clear information to access services. The statement must be kept under review, and it should be revised when new services become available, or when there are changes to existing services.
The Surrey Short Breaks statement relates to the new Short Breaks service currently in place.
Services for families of children with disabilities
The following services may also be of interest. They are not managed by the CFLL Commissioning team. Please follow the links below to find out more information.
Surrey Children's Disability Register (SCDR)
The SCDR is a voluntary register for children and young people with a disability or impairment, aged 0-18 years and living in Surrey. The register helps us plan and monitor services and also operates as a contact list to provide regular information and consultation about short break opportunities, funded by Surrey County Council, through the Surrey Short Breaks for Disabled Children Team.
Max Card
This is a free discount card administered by local authorities which gives foster families and families of children with additional needs access to various activities around the country at a discounted rate. The scheme is designed to help families save money on great days out, including zoos, bowling alleys, theme parks and many more. Families of children with additional needs can obtain a Max Card by registering on the Surrey Children's Disability Register (SCDR online registration form). Once registered, families will receive the Max Card in the post.
More details on the Max Card scheme, including full details of where the Max Card can be used can be found on the Max Card website.
Parent carer break grant
These payments can be made to support parent carers who have a disabled child under 18 living in Surrey who are not currently receiving services from Surrey County Council children's services or have a social worker.
Parents cannot apply directly themselves, but anyone working with a family can apply on your behalf - such as the local carers support workers, Action for Carers Surrey team, or any professional working with you and your child for example teachers and Home School Link workers, nurses and health visitors, Children's Centre managers, Early Years Support co-ordinators.
A completed Early Help Assessment or Carers Support assessment is required in order to access this grant.
Parent Carer break grants can be used as flexibly as possible to allow parent/carers to identify what best may support them. Examples of previous grants have been used by families to fund or contribute to family holidays, short breaks for parents, training courses for parents, including driving lessons, contributions towards play activities, days out, and in some cases, equipment to help you as a parent carer.
The payment is up to the value of £300 per annum.
For more information:
- Email: cwd.sta@surreycc.gov.uk
Family Voice Surrey - A parents' forum
Family Voice Surrey is a forum for parents of children with disabilities and SEN to come together to get their voice heard and influence the development of services for their children. The committee meet regularly to discuss issues of concern and to feed this into ongoing discussions with those who provide services in Surrey to children with disabilities such as Surrey County Council, NHS Surrey and voluntary organisations. For more information:
- Telephone: 01372 705708
- Email: contact@familyvoicesurrey.org
The committee is always interested in hearing from parents that would like to get involved. Please call to find out future committee meeting dates.