We’re pleased to share that, following a pause due to the pandemic, we’ve now committed to restart work to improve future short breaks.
We want children and young people in Devon to enjoy experiences and activities that allow them to make new friends, learn new skills and feel confident and happy. For disabled children and young people, we do this through providing short breaks and activities, which also give parents and carers a break from the caring responsibilities.
In 2019 we started a project to look into our short breaks offer with a view to improve it. The COVID-19 pandemic unfortunately meant that we had to pause that work in May 2020, but we’re pleased to let you know that we have now committed to move forward again.
We talked to lots of people, including parents and carers and children and young people, and learnt lots about how you felt about short breaks before the COVID-19 pandemic. But we’re keen find out if your feelings have changed over the past 18 months, or if you have had any experiences (good or bad!) that you want to tell us about.
Please fill out our new survey to help us build on what we’ve already heard, so we can use your feedback to shape our offer and provide fair, inclusive, and exciting short breaks that give children and young people with disabilities the opportunity to thrive both at home and within their communities.
The survey is open to parent/carers, children and young people, professionals and providers, and it will close at the end of September.