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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.

This guidance applies to disabled children/young people 0-18 and their families. The breaks 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.

The legal basis for short breaks is identified within:

The Children Act 1989 S.17 which sets out the local authorities’ powers and duties to provide support services for children in need and their families. The definition of children in need includes children who are disabled within the meaning of the 1989 Act (section 17(11) states: ‘… a child is disabled if he is blind, deaf or dumb or suffers from mental disorder of any kind or is substantially and permanently handicapped by illness, injury or congenital deformity…’).

For more information, you can view the Short Breaks Regulations.

Children and Families Act 2014 gives parents and young people the right to request that the local authority prepare a personal budget. Special educational needs and disability code of practice 0-25 – 2015 (COP).

‘A Personal Budget is an amount of money identified by the local authority to deliver provision set out in an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan where the parent or young person is involved in securing that provision’.  (COP).

As a local authority Telford & Wrekin are implementing the delivery of Short Breaks through the use of Personal Budgets. This will support a fairer, more transparent method of providing families with the support they need. A personal budget can be provided through direct payment or as a notional budget where services are directly commissioned through the local authority. Requests for an assessment for a personal budget are made through family connect who will direct the request to Children with Disabilities Team for a social work assessment. 

• Direct Payments (Information fom LiveWell Telford)
• LiveWell Telford Care and Support Provider Directory