Short Breaks and respite care for children with disabilities or additional needs
Short Breaks are for children and young people with disabilities or additional needs. They are an opportunity to spend time away from parents, engage in fun activities and enjoy time with friends.
They offer parents/carers a break from their caring responsibilities and time to spend with other family members and to catch-up on other daily tasks.
The Short Breaks programme is open to all children and young people who:
- Have a disability or additional needs and may require support to participate fully in leisure or recreation activities
- Are aged between 0 and 18
- Live within Southampton City Council boundaries
There are four tiers of support offered through the Short Breaks programme. These are available depending on the child's level of need.
The Southampton Short Break Statement provides more details. This includes information on the current range of short break services, the eligibility criteria and how to access them.
The Buzz Network
The Buzz Network is a group for Southampton parents/carers of children and young people with a disability or additional needs. It gives you access to discounts and benefits at a range of organisations in Southampton and beyond.
Find out more about The Buzz Network.
Levels of support
Low tier of support
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These are services that are provided or available to all children, young people and their families in their local community.
All children and young people should be able to access opportunities which are happening in their local communities. These opportunities can be found at children’s centres, libraries, swimming pools and sports centres, youth groups, parks, playgrounds, community centres and many more.
Wherever possible these are the opportunities which should be used as a first point of call. These services have a duty under the Equalities Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments and not to treat a disabled person less favourably.
You can search clubs and activities in and around Southampton in our directory.
How can I access this?
They are accessed by families directly. There is a growing list of activities that are part of The Max Card scheme. These are promoted on The Max Card website.
Medium tier of support
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These are services that are aimed at children and young people with needs that require more support than available through universal services. They may need groups or services that are specifically designed to meet their needs.
Families have access to a MAX Card Plus if they:
- Receive Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Personal Independence Payment (PIP),
- But don't receive an individual package of support via services at the substantial or complex level
The MAX Card Plus offers easy access to a range of concessions or discounts across the city. This recognises that these children are able to access the majority of services available to all children.
Additionally, the MAX Card Plus will offer booking rights into subsidised activities in and around Southampton. The short breaks programme will fund two main types of activities:
- Specialist Activities – run specifically for children and young people with moderate to complex needs
- Support to attend mainstream activities, play schemes, clubs and groups
How can I access this?
Any parent or carer can apply to The Buzz Network if their child with disabilities or additional needs is:
- Aged between 0 and 18
- Living within the Southampton City Council boundary
- In receipt of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
Substantial tier of support
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Substantial support services are for disabled children, young people and their parent/carers who require more support than is available through low or medium support services.
Family’s needs who are assessed to be substantial will be supported through the relevant social care team. These teams will be able to complete a short breaks assessment. If eligible, the family will receive an individual package of support through a personal budget. This might include:
- Individual support in the home or community (e.g. outreach)
- Direct Payments – to purchase individual support in line with the personal budget and direct payment policy
- They may also be able to access the non-assessed short break activities at a subsidised rate, purchased through direct payments
- A mixture of more than one of these options
How can I access this?
A parent/carer or professional working with the child can make a referral via the child’s social worker. If a child is not already open to a social care team, then a referral can be made via the Children's Resource Service, with the consent of the child’s parents.
If eligible, the social worker will carry out an assessment of needs. This assessment will consider the impact of the child’s disability on them and their parent/carer and siblings. This could result in an assessed need for additional support or respite.
It is recommended that you complete a Children's Resource Service referral form for new referrals.
Telephone: 023 8023 3004
Complex tier of support
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Families open to the JIGSAW Children with Disabilities Team will have an assessment of needs. If eligible, they will receive an individualised short breaks package of support through a personal budget. This might be through:
- Individual support in the home or community (e.g. outreach)
- Family-based overnight and day care
- Residential overnight short breaks
- Direct Payments – to purchase individual support in line with the personal budget and direct payment policy
- A mixture of more than one of these options
They may also be able to access the non-assessed short break activities at a subsidised rate, purchased through direct payments.
How can I access this?
A parent/carer or professional working with the child can make a referral via the Southampton JIGSAW Team, with the consent of the child’s parent. If eligible, an assessment of needs will be carried out by a social worker. This assessment will consider the impact of the child’s disability on them and their parent/carer and siblings. This could result in an assessed need for additional support or respite.
Telephone: 023 8091 5702
Appeals process for short breaks
All appeals are carefully considered by the Short Breaks Appeals Panel. This panel includes members of Southampton Children Services, Health and Special Educational Needs (SEN), and the Children’s Disabilities team.
1. Short breaks panel
First, your case is heard at the Short Breaks Panel following the receipt of the Resource Allocation System Tool and updated Assessment and decision made. (Editor: what is a "Resource Allocation System Tool"? What assessment is this? Where can readers find out more about these? Non-experts may not understand this terminology) Once your case is heard at the panel, your allocated worker will provide details of the decision to you in writing.
2. Allocated worker and manager meeting
If you disagree with the panel decision, you can meet with the allocated worker and team manager in the first instance. You should contact them within 10 working days of the panel's decision. They may be able to answer any questions or queries you have.
3. Council complaints process
If this discussion has not resolved the matter, we will review your appeal under stage one of our complaints process. Further information or clarification may be required before a decision can be reached. We will contact you about this and may ask for more supporting evidence.
An Appeals Panel may be set up and you may have the option to attend. This is decided on a case by case basis. There is more about this Appeals Panel below.
We will respond to your complaint in writing under stage one of the complaints process.
4. Independent review
If you remain dissatisfied with this response to your complaint after following the above steps, you may request an independent review by the director of the service, or their nominee. This is investigated by an unconnected manager under stage two of the complaints process.
The Appeals Panel meeting
The relevant Appeals Panel meeting will be set up by the Jigsaw Children Services team. They will also invite you to the meeting, giving you seven days' notice of this.
All extra information must be submitted five working days before the meeting.
The Appeals Panel will include four professionals:
- The Head of Service, Service Manager or team manager from Children's Services
- An allocated practitioner
- A short breaks officer
- A representative from the Health or SEN teams, or both
What are the possible outcomes to my appeal?
Your appeal will either be:
- Upheld - We agree that your short breaks or direct payments will be amended
- Not upheld - We decide that there will be no change to the original Short Breaks Panel decision
The stage one complaint outcome letter will inform you of this in writing, giving a reason if your appeal was not upheld.
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