Every Disabled Child Matters have produced a paper Challenging Cuts to Short Breaks Services. The resources intends to promote awareness of the duty for Local Authority’s to provide short breaks for disabled children on their families and gives you an idea of the provision you should expect in your area.
The resource also explains the legal framework around the provision of short break services so you know what you support you should be receiving .
The Children and Young Person’s Act 2008 states that ‘Every Local Authority shall provide services designed to assist individuals who provide care for such children to continue to do so, or to do so more effectively, by giving them breaks from caring.’
Local Authorities must provide, ‘so far as is reasonably practical, a range of services which is sufficient to assist carers to continue to provide care or to do so more effectively’. The services must include a range of; day time care, overnight care, educational and leisure activities outside of their homes and services to assist carers in the evenings, weekends and school holidays.
If you feel you aren’t getting the right support or aren’t receiving any short breaks please let us know. Email: support@bdfa-uk.org.uk or call the support helpline 0800 046 9832