Short break services
We understand that for some families, caring full-time for children and young people with disabilities can be demanding.
We must, by law, provide a range of short break services for children (under 18) which are sufficient to assist parents and carers to continue to care for their children effectively.
A short break is when children and young people with disabilities take part in enjoyable activities during their leisure time (outside of school hours). A short break supports the parents who are responsible for caring for children with disabilities by giving them the time necessary to:
- rest and recuperate
- spend time with and meet the needs of other children in the family
- undertake education, training or leisure activities.
A short break can be a way to achieve this and can be a lifeline for some families and children. A short break can range from one hour to several days.
There are a range of universal (level 1) services available in Medway, which whilst not specifically designed for children with disabilities, could support and include children with disabilities in a way that allows them to take part alongside their siblings and peers.
We also recognise that some parents and carers may need a little extra support to take a necessary break from caring. We have targeted (level 2) and specialist services (level 3) available for children with disabilities whose needs may be moderate or more severe and profound.
Short Break Grant scheme
The Short Break Grant scheme is a targeted (level 2) service. It's available to parents and carers of children with a disability or additional needs. It's paid to disabled children and their families annually and can be used throughout the year to buy services such as a personal assistant (PA) to provide additional support for a child to access universal opportunities or spent on targeted play schemes or specialist equipment.
The Short Break Grant is designed to help with the cost of short breaks and does not need a social worker assessment to be eligible.
To find out more, read:
- the short break services statement
- our Short Break Grant criteria document
- our short break services explained document.
Short Break Grant eligibility
To be eligible, the child must:
- live in Medway
- be over 3 and under 18
- not receive any direct payments
- not receive other short break services, which are directly funded by the council.
In addition, a child over 3 but under 16 must either:
- be formally diagnosed
- get the higher or middle rate of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) (either care or mobility component).
A child over 16 must either:
- be formally diagnosed
- get the higher rate of Personal Independence Payments (PIP) (either daily living or mobility component).