Warwickshire short breaks statement

Warwickshire commissions a range of short breaks provision to facilitate greater choice. Funding is awarded through an application process that ensures that the providers offer services and activities that meet current demand, have the necessary skills and experience and provide value for money. They are all required to safeguard and promote children’s welfare. These requirements are reflected in contracts with providers and the Council ensures they are met through ongoing contract monitoring.

The following arrangements are in place (a list of providers is included at the end of this section):

North Warwickshire Borough, Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough and Rugby Borough

In the North and Rugby, a lead provider model is in place. This means that a single provider has responsibility for the offer of daytime community short breaks, and community overnight short breaks within that area. Providers will deliver flexible provision in and out of the home to meet the needs of a variety of children with disabilities, including those with complex care needs, autism, those that present behaviours that challenge and those with mental health issues.  The providers will deliver a diverse range of support including groups, 1:1, 2:1, sitting services and overnights in the community (in a family’s home or away from the home with an approved carer) as part of a planned short break or in an emergency situation. Short breaks services are available 7 days a week and 52 weeks a year.  Services are available at times when families need them most included but not limited to after school, weekends and holidays.

South Warwickshire (Warwick District and Stratford upon Avon District)

In South Warwickshire short breaks have been commissioned as three specified lots:

Lot 1: Preparing for Adulthood: The focus of the service is to enable children and young people with disabilities (age 14+) to work towards individualised, person-centred outcomes with appropriate support to access their local community and preparing them effectively for adulthood by supporting them to take part in age-appropriate activities. The provider will deliver support to identify and access appropriate community-based opportunities to help enable the achievement of agreed life-skills/independence/preparing for adulthood outcomes.

Lot 2: Community Short Breaks: The focus of the service is to promote independence, social inclusion, safe care, positive risk taking, and general wellbeing of the child or young person and their family. Support may be delivered within an individual’s family home, and they may be supported to access the community, e.g. to take part in activities of interest. These breaks can be provided in planned or emergency situations and accessed individually or in groups. Individual support can include 1:1 in the community or group activities (including 1:1 support). Short breaks could include holiday schemes, weekend clubs, after school clubs and evening sessions. 

Lot 3: Specialist Community Short Breaks: The focus of the service is to promote independence, social inclusion, safe care, positive risk taking, and general wellbeing of the child or young person and their family. Support may be delivered within an individual’s family home, and they may be supported to access the community, e.g., to take part in activities of interest. These breaks can be provided in planned or emergency situations and accessed individually or in groups. This support will specialise in complex behaviours and 2:1 support. Short breaks could include holiday schemes, weekend clubs, after school clubs and evening sessions. 

Referrals to these services will be from an authorised practitioner of Warwickshire County Council’s Children with Disabilities Team or Emergency Duty Team (emergency referrals only).

The provision of residential overnight short breaks is delivered separately to community daytime short breaks. This is delivered by Action for Children, as outlined in the following table:

Children and young people will be referred through the following routes:

• Referral from an authorised practitioner of Warwickshire County Council’s Children with Disabilities Team or Emergency Duty Team (emergency referrals only). Following on from the referral, an assessment for short breaks (Lots 1-3) will be made by the Children with Disabilities Team. All short break requests will be approved by Children with Disabilities Resource Panel.
• Self-referral – families who wish to purchase children community short break services using a Direct Payment. Self-referrals may be made on an individual’s behalf by their family or carer. 

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