Short Breaks for Disabled Children

1) How many disabled children and young people are in your local authority area?

  Number 
a) Total Number of disabled children and young people 0-25 years in local authority area   6926
b) Of those included in the number above, please could you tell us their ethnicity below   
Asian    55
Black     23
Mixed heritage   172
White   6441
Any other Ethnic group  24
Not known/Refused  211

Please note that the figure for ‘a’ is the number of children and young people 0-25 years known to Devon County Council Childrens’ Social Care who have a recorded disability.

2) How many families with disabled children accessed short breaks between April 2023 and March 2024 (by family we include disabled children or young people 0-25, or their family member such as their parent carer or sibling). 

Approximately 1600 – 1800 children and young people were accessing short breaks in April 2023. Devon County Council does not hold information to show trends over the given time period.

3) Overview of short break services in your local authority area

Question  Number 
a)The total number of short break services in your area for disabled children and young people and their families aged 0-25 years   
b)The total number of individual spaces available in your area for disabled children and young people and their families aged 0-25 years   

In response to questions 3 – 9, Devon County Council does not hold this information. The vast majority of short break services are purchased directly by families through direct payment arrangements so we cannot accurately confirm this information.

4) Of the short break services counted in question 3a and 3b, how many services and places are available by age group.

Age group  Number of services  Number of Individual Spaces 
Disabled children and young people <5 years     
Disabled children and young people 5-10 years     
Disabled children and young people 11-15 years      
Disabled children and young people 16-18 years     
Disabled children and young people 19-25 years     

5) Of the short break services counted in question 3a and 3b, how many services and places are available for family members

a)

Family Member  Number of services  Number of Individual Spaces 
Disabled children and young people 0-25 years     
Parent Carers     
Sibling      

b) Do all the services above include parent carer drop off or are parent carers required to stay at the session or service whilst their disabled child or young person or their sibling attends? 

Y / N

6) Ethnicity  

a) Of the short break services counted in question 3a and 3b, how many services and places are targeted to families with disabled children or young people from black, Asian, or mixed ethnic minority groups.

Services  Number of services  Number of Individual spaces 
Black     
Asian     
Black or Asian mixed heritage      

b) Please could you provide the ethnicity of families using short break services between 1st April 2023 and 31st March 2024 

Services  Number of services  Number of Individual spaces 
Black     
Asian     
Black or Asian mixed heritage      
White     
Unknown     

7) Of the short break services counted in question 3a and 3b, how many services and places are available to families with disabled children or young people with the following needs: 

Services  Number of services  Number of Individual spaces 
Communication Needs (such as Makaton, BSL, communication device)     
Gastro Needs (eg PEG fed)     
Oxygen requirements     
Wheelchair needs (self propelling or requiring support)     
Sensory needs (such as sensory rooms or quiet areas)     
Hoist needs     
Personal care needs (such as help toileting or washing)     
Dietary needs (support with eating or drinking and specialised food)     
Medication needs     
Cultural or religious needs (in terms of food preparation or prayer rooms)     

8) Of the short break services counted in question 3a and 3b, what type of organisations are commissioned to provide short break services for families with disabled children or young people out of the local authority area: 

Services  Number of services  Number of Individual spaces 
Out of area short break services     

9) Of the short break services counted in question 3a and 3b, how many services and places are commissioned for families with disabled children or young people out of the local authority area: 

Organisations  Number of services  Number of Individual spaces 
Local authority provided     
Private organisations     
Independent     
Community Interest Company or Group     
Charity     
Hospice     
Voluntary Organisations     
Faith or religious based organisations    

10) Of the short break services counted in question 3a and 3b, what times or days are services or places available for families:

Days / Times  Number of services  Number of Individual spaces 
Weekdays – daytime     
Weekday – evening     
Weekend – daytime     
Weekend – evening     

Devon County Council does not hold this information. The vast majority of short break services are purchased directly by families through direct payment arrangements so we cannot accurately confirm this information. However families may be accessing short breaks across all of these timescales.

11) Of the short break services counted in question 3a and 3b, how many services and places are available only with direct payments:

Devon County Council does not hold this information. The vast majority of short break services are purchased directly by families through direct payment arrangements so we cannot accurately confirm this information. No services or places would only be available through direct payments. We can also offer managed accounts even if services are not commissioned.

Services  Number of services  Number of Individual spaces 
Direct Payments only     

12) Could you tell us the process you have in place with the services that you commission to monitor or review short break sessions with low attendance.   

If we have commissioned short break sessions then we are likely to have a contractual arrangement with the provider so low attendance would be picked up through contract monitoring.