Types of short break
Short breaks can be categorised as universal, targeted or specialist.
Universal describes leisure and social activities or clubs that are accessible by everyone. Some children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities may have difficulty accessing these services and so may be eligible to use targeted or specialist services.
The following services are available to families, children and young people who have not been able to fully participate in leisure or social activities through our universal services. Learn about universal, targeted and specialist services.
Short break services – targeted short breaks
Bromley Mencap – specialist childminding
This flexible, tailor-made service is for children up to the age of 18 who are carefully matched with registered childminders who are trained specifically to care for them.
Bromley Mencap - short breaks community support service
Allowing children and young people from 0 years of age to get out and about in the community; the community support workers offer families a flexible, tailor-made service where children up to the age of 25 can have happy, stimulating and enjoyable ‘out of school’ leisure time within and outside of their family home.
Bromley Mencap - short breaks buddying service
“Buddies” aged 16 and above provide support to young disabled people from the age of 16 to access leisure and recreation opportunities in the community. Buddies can help with first steps towards travel training, understanding money and access local leisure activities in the community.
Bromley’s CDS assess families for short breaks and may allocate a set number of hours/direct payments dependent on need to be used for any of the short break services. The CDS might provide these services directly, families can self-fund or use your Direct Payments to access any of the Bromley Mencap services.
For more online information go to: https://www.bromleymencap.org.uk/project/childminding/
The Riverside Saturday and holiday clubs – specialist short breaks
This is a club for children and young people aged 5 – 17, run by Riverside School and the scheme is held at their school site in St Paul’s Cray.
Please discuss the suitability of this scheme for your child or young person with the CDS.
Hollybank – specialist overnight short breaks
This specialist centre comprises two self-contained units which provide a residential short break service. One unit offers support for children and young people with complex healthcare needs/physical disabilities and/or learning disabilities while the other provides for children and young people with autism and/or learning disabilities, who might present with behavioural challenges, due to communication difficulties or other factors.
All children and young people who are considered eligible for and in need of the service receive an assessment of their family and individual needs by the CDS.
Find out more about the Hollybank service by visiting the Bromley Healthcare website at: https://www.bromleyhealthcare.org.uk/explore-our-services/hollybank/
Family based overnight short breaks
Bromley assess and provide overnight carers who provide care in their own homes for children and young people with disabilities. The carers are assessed as short break foster carers, who undergo a thorough assessment. Support is normally provided overnight in the carers home, however, can also provide some level of day care support.
All children and young people who are considered eligible for and in need of the service receive an assessment of their family and individual needs by the CDS.
Short break clubs
The children’s disability service often commission additional clubs during holidays to support children with disabilities and their families. There is a specific eligibility criteria for each club, with some only accessible directly through the children's disability service, whilst other clubs can be accessed directly. As and when these are available information is shared on the Bromley Local Offer.
Children's disability team
The children’s disability team is a specialist social care team who provide advice and information to families with children who have disabilities and/or additional needs from birth to 18 years.