Short Breaks cover arrangements which support disabled children, young people and their families. They can include access to or provision of day, evening, overnight and weekend activities for the child or young person, and can take place in the child’s own home, the home of an approved carer, or in a residential or community setting. These services help disabled children and young people to develop confidence and independence, have access to and be included in activities and opportunities to meet and socialise with their friends and access their local communities. Whilst also providing parents and carers with a short break from their caring role.
From 2019 Devon County Council (DCC) started the Short Breaks Co-Design project, this aims to ensure short breaks services really work for children, young people and families in Devon. This project will consider in partnership with children and young people, their parents and carers and Providers of short break services what services are available, what families’ needs are and how services could be shaped for the future. The initial timeframe for the project was to August 2021.
Due to the emergence of COVID-19 from March 2020, a proposal was developed to pause this project until September 2020. This will allow DCC to use available resources and capacity to best prioritise support and urgent responses for children, young people and families affected by the virus and who are most vulnerable.