Short breaks
Families with disabled children told government that their number one priority is regular and reliable short breaks from caring.
Responding to what families told us, most of the funding for Aiming High for Disabled Children will be spent on short breaks.
Funding
A total funding package of £370 million has been allocated by the Department for Children, Schools and Families for 2008-11 for short breaks. This comprises £280 million in revenue funding announced in May 2007, along with £90 million in capital funding announced with the Children's Plan in December 2008.
Local authority allocations are supported by significant additional funding for Primary Care Trusts from NHS allocations.
21 pathfinder sites have been identified to take forward best practice in the provision of short break services. These pathfinder sites have significant new funding to improve services from April 2008. Other English local authorities, able to demonstrate by March 2009 their readiness for short break service transformation, will receive significant new funding for short breaks from April 2009.
Short breaks implementation guidance
The short
breaks implementation guidance for Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) and
local authorities informs the transformation of short break provision over the
next three years and should be read in conjunction with other AHDC resources.
PCTs should also consider this guidance in shaping their response to the
2008-09 NHS Operating Framework priorities.
For more information, please read the cover
letter regarding associated funding announcements.
Together
for Disabled Children, a coalition between Serco and Contact a Family, will
support Local Authorities and PCTs in their provision of short breaks for
families with disabled children.
Training, support and development materials for short break foster carers
The Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) plans to issue
accompanying short break-specific materials to support the effective and
tailored application of the CWDC
Training, Support and Development Standards for Foster Care. In doing so,
CWDC recognises that while all foster carers should benefit from high standards
of training, support and development, many short break foster carers have a
different operational context to full-time foster carers.
The additional materials, available in the New Year, will be designed to help
short break providers interpret the standards within the short break context
and will contain:
- Supplementary guidance demonstrating how the standards can be implemented
with short break carers and setting out a flexible approach as to how the
standards can be evidenced (including greater clarity around the timescales
under which individuals should meet the standards)
- A customised workbook for disabled children's short break carers
Email the AHDC Implementation Team with your questions or comments.
Information, advice and guidance
Short
breaks
This set of documents includes: short break funding allocations for 2008-11;
capital funding Q&A; sure start, early years & childcare (SSEYC) grant:
2008-09 Memorandum of Grant; short breaks pathfinder application report; short
breaks implementation guidance and cover letter, and short breaks
Q&A.
This page was last updated on 10 October 2008
