Short Breaks

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If your child or young person has a diagnosed disability, then you can apply for a short break.  

Short breaks give you a chance to:

• Recharge Your Batteries: Take a breath, relax, and get some rest
• Take a Break from your Caring Duties: Because SEND parent carers need a break too!
  
• Enjoy Sibling Time: Spend time quality 1-2-1 time with your other children 
• Tackle Your To-Do List: Get those pending tasks sorted – shopping, housework, booking the MOT or even getting your hair done. All those things that you never get time to do. 

Are there any rules for short breaks?

• Short Breaks can't replace usual childcare for working parents, but working parents can apply. We want to keep short breaks available so that you can focus on what matters most – quality family time, new experiences for your child with SEND and giving you a chance to recharge. 
• If ADHD is your child's only diagnosis, unfortunately, you can't apply for a short break. If you need help finding clubs, groups and activities for your child with ADHD you can explore the Virtual Family Hub Something to do page or ring our Family Hub team on 0800 0345 340 and we will help you find something suitable. 

Ready to take the next step? 

It's always helpful if you have an idea of what's available before starting the application, we've put together an overview of each provider to help you choose the right fit for your family. 

Read on, choose where you would like to take your short break and apply today. 

Apply in one of the following ways: 

Do It Yourself:

Once you've got an idea of where you would like your child to go you can download an application form  and then email the completed application to: shortbreaksECS@barnsley.gov.uk. 

Talk to a professional you are already working with:

You might be working with a health visitor, paediatrician or family support worker. You can ask them to complete a short break application on your behalf, choose someone who knows your family well and can talk about how the short break would benefit your whole family. 

Assisted application:

Come and see a SEND professional at the Monthly Local Offer Drop-in sessions. They will ask you about your family, talk to you about your child's interests and how a short break would benefit you both. They will complete, and submit the form there and then. Children are welcome if you can't find childcare. We want to remove as many barriers as possible. 

Sessions take place on the first Wednesday of every month at The Ozone (Barnsley Football Club) 10am-12.30pm.  

Upcoming sessions are:

Once you have submitted your completed application to shortbreaksecs@barnsley.gov.uk it will be looked at and decided at the next monthly panel meeting.

• Agreed – a suitable activity will be offered
  
• Deferred – to request more information from you
• Declined – because the child/family do not meet the criteria for a short break
  

If you don't think that Short Breaks would be a good fit for your family, you may be able to apply for an overnight stay, direct payment or personal budget. 

These tend to be for families who have children and young people with complex needs, and you will need to have a social care assessment to access them. 

Overnight stays Some families qualify for an overnight stay. Depending on your child's needs you may be offered a place at our lovely home-from-home respite property on Newsome Avenue, Wombwell or with a respite foster carer after a settling-in period. 

Personal budget is an amount of money paid directly to you that lets you choose and buy the services you need yourself, instead of the short-breaks offered in Barnsley. 

To find out more about overnight stays, direct payments and personal budgets contact the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub on 01226 772423 have a chat about your family's needs and ask for an assessment.

• What parent carers, children and young people say about their short-breaks
• Who sits on the panel and how short-breaks are allocated 
• How short-break providers are approved 
• More in-depth information about the current providers
• What work the Local Authority is doing to make the short break offer even better