Short Breaks
What Short Breaks are available in Wirral and how can they be accessed?
Section 25 of the Children and Young Person’s Act requires local authorities to provide short breaks for families with disabled children. This statement provides details of the range of services available and how families can access the services.
What is a Short Break?
Short breaks provide opportunities for disabled children and young people to spend time away from their primary carers. These include day, evening, overnight or weekend activities and take place in the child’s own home, the home of an approved carer, a residential or community setting.
Short breaks can also be activities offering a fun based experience for the family as a whole. Parents/carers can be present at these activities but there will be qualified and experienced delivery staff leading the session to offer a break to them as primary carer. These activities offer a positive leisure experience for the whole family to access.
What Short Breaks are available in Wirral?
There are a range of services, provided by various different organisations, available across the Wirral which are designed to meet the needs of children with disabilities and/or additional needs, such as recreational activities; including a wide range covering for example, sports, arts, play and life skills.
There are also services that are available to all children, young people and their families.
Wirral Council also pay for a range of short breaks that are delivered by different organisations, this includes the option of respite care at weekends, evenings and through school holidays. Wirral Council conducted a review in 2019 to make sure there is a good spread of activities at different times, for different ages and different disabilities as we aim to make sure there is an activity for everyone.
How can I access Short Breaks?
Direct Access; you can access by contacting the provider directly via:
Crossroads Together 0333 323 1990 Select option 1, then option 2 or via Children’s Services | Crossroads Together
Autism Together 0151 666 9960 or via Childrens & Family Service - Autism Together
Active Wirral 0151 606 2010 or via Active Wirral - All sports Disability Programme
Children’s Social Care Assessment.
According to your child’s level of need the assessment would be completed by a social worker. This assessment would then determine what short break services each child is eligible for. 0151 606 2008