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All local authorities will be required to provide short breaks for parents and carers who look after a disabled child, under plans announced today by Ed Balls and Diana Johnson.

The Government knows that for many parents caring for their disabled children can over time place a tremendous strain on them and their families. Short breaks from their caring responsibilities can and do make a vital difference to their lives and the lives of their children. Short break services include day-time or overnight care in or out of the home. As part of our consultation on disabled children’s services in 2008 parents said more short breaks provision was their greatest priority. The government responded to this and committed £280m in local authority grants over the period 2008-11 specifically to improve these services. The range and type of short breaks has grown with the support of the Aiming High for Disabled Children funding.

To build on this progress, the Department for Children, Schools and Families today launched a public consultation which, if agreed, will mean require all local authorities to provide short break services for parents who care for disabled children.

Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families Ed Balls said:

“It is vital that parents and carers of disabled children are offered the opportunity, if they wish, to take a short break from their caring responsibilities. I know short breaks offer parents and carers the chance to have a rest, recover and rejuvenate, so they are better able to continue to provide the care their disabled children and other family members need.

“Short breaks also give disabled children and young people the opportunity to access and experience fun new activities, to mix and socialise, and to gain a sense of independence.

“I now want to build on the good practice developed by many local authorities to embed this across the country so short break services are responsive to the needs of parents and their families. We want to make sure that parents and children get the support they need when they need it.

“We are also allocating an additional £1million funding in 2009-10 to fund even more short breaks for families with disabled children this year.”

The short break provision has already proved popular with parents and carers with a significant increase in uptake in both the pathfinder authorities and those authorities that rolled out provision in 2009.

Minister for Schools Diana Johnson said:

“Caring for disabled children can be difficult and put families under immense pressure at times. Allowing parents and carers the chance to take some time to recharge their batteries or to do something that allows them to be a more effective carer and parent is incredibly important.

“The investment we have put in through the Aiming High for Disabled Children programme is making a real difference to families with disabled children. I now want to build on the good practice developed by many local authorities in their short break services, to make sure that good practice becomes common practice across the country.

“I want to make sure that carers and their children get all the support they need and this legislation will put our commitment to supporting these families on a firm legal footing.”

Christine Lenehan, Director of the Council for Disabled Children said:

”I am delighted that additional money is being made available to local authorities who have already made significant progress towards delivering an improved range of short breaks. These have been delivered in consultation with parents and children and are already transforming lives.

"Short break duty marks a key point in delivering the ambitions of Aiming High. It marks a huge step in ensuring families of disabled children and young people themselves are supported to live ordinary lives."

Srabani Sen, Chief Executive of Contact a Family, said:

Aiming High for Disabled Children is the Government’s programme for improving outcomes for disabled children. It aims to do this by improving provision in key areas such as a step change in the provision of short breaks for disabled children, as well as introducing a transition support programme and improving access to childcare for disabled children and young people.

A total of £340 million in revenue funding and £90 million in capital has been set aside, with further funding provided by the Department of Health.

Editor's Notes
This press notice relates to 'England'
1. Aiming High for Disabled Children is the Government’s programme for improving outcomes for disabled children through radical changes in the services made available to them. Over the period 2008-11, a total of £340 million in revenue funding and £90 million in capital has been set aside to improve the lives of disabled children and their families. Further funding was provided by the Department of Health in support of this joint agenda. As well as transforming the provision of short breaks for disabled children, Aiming High for Disabled Children also aims to introduce a transition support programme to help disabled young people and their families benefit from support to help them overcome the many challenges in the critical transition to adulthood; and improve access to childcare for disabled children and young people, which is vital to help parents work and to improve children’s development.

click here for table of Local Authority Allocation

3. The short break provision has shown a significant increase in uptake in both the pathfinder authorities and those authorities that rolled out provision in 2009. Every type of short break service has seen an increase

Pathfinder authorities:
• Group based non specialist up 88% - These activities include enabling disabled children and young people to access youth clubs and leisure facilities, and may include activities held at Children’s Centres.
• Group based specialist up 55% - These short breaks involve a group of disabled children, often with complex health needs, who are brought together to enjoy an activity. For example in Cornwall, a group of disabled children is taken out every Saturday to do something which might be a trip to the zoo, or could be a themed activity day.
Non-pathfinder authorities:
• Group based non specialist breaks up 77% - These increases have been especially obvious in Saturday and Sunday schemes and in children’s centres.
• Group based specialist breaks up 88%.

4. The start of a three-year transformation in short breaks services for disabled children was announced in January 2008. 21 Pathfinder local authorities were funded to start work on the transformation, while the remaining local authorities received funding from 2009/10. The 21 Pathfinder authorities from 2008 are; Bradford, Bolton, Bournemouth-Dorset-Poole (joint pathfinder), Brighton, Dudley, Derbyshire, Enfield, Gloucestershire, Gateshead, Halton, Kent, North Yorkshire, North Tyneside, Nottinghamshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Sutton, Sunderland and Telford & Wrekin.

5. Short break services include day, evening, overnight and weekend activities and take place in the child's own home, the home of an approved carer, or any other community setting.

6. The consultation period will last for 12 weeks from 1 February. Final guidance and regulations should be published in September 2010. The consultation can be accessed via the DCSF website at: http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/consultations/index.cfm?action=consultationDetails&consultationId=1688&external=no&menu=1

Contact Details
Public Enquiries 0870 000 2288, info@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk