Short breaks for disabled children and young people

Short breaks are matched to meet the child's needs, interests and preferences and aim to provide:

• extra social opportunities for the child
• a break for the parents and child
• time for parents to spend with other children in the family

See our short breaks statement to find out who can access a short break, what is available at different levels of need, and how this can be accessed.

There are three different types of short breaks available:

Universal support

This is the support available to everyone through universal settings, such as, libraries, leisure centres, children and family hubs and social activities. The majority of children who require services will receive them through such resources. Information on local services is available on our children and family hub page.

Additional support

Some disabled children and young people with less complex needs will require additional support to access some universal services. Additional support is often short-term assistance to help access mainstream services such as youth groups, scouts, guides and sports clubs. This might include advice or training for providers or short-term additional support to enhance confidence and skills, if necessary. 

For more information on additional support from your local early help consultant, please contact us.

Specialist support

For more information, see the disabled children and young people section.

Early Help District contact numbers