Short Breaks Service Statement

Short Breaks Service Statement logo

In this statement you can learn how: 

  • We organise Short Break services and Children's support services on the Isle of Wight. 
  • Short Break services are only intended for children and young people who have a disability or additional needs. 
  • Discover how you and your family can access these services
  • Discover what Short Breaks are available to support your family
  • Find suitable, trusted support services

If your child or young person does not have a disability but has additional needs resulting from abuse or trauma. There are other support available from children’s services and other organisations who can help you and your family. We have listed services or useful information further down this web page. Take a look they could provide the support you need.

Every local authority has to provide a statement. They must listen and respond to parents’ and carers’ views. This statement is a guide to the services offered by the Isle of Wight Council.

We believe this statement reflects that our services are always striving to improve. We are always responding to what families are telling us making sure we provide the best services we can.

We hope the Island community continues to work with the council to achieve the best outcomes for children and young people on the Isle of Wight.

We review the Short Breaks statement every year. It is reviewed in consultation with parents and other local agencies.

If you have anything that you would like to include please contact the Short Breaks team:

Short Breaks are fun or educational activities for children and young people with disabilities and additional needs. Allowing their parents or carers to take a ‘short break’ from caring. Short Breaks activities are offered during daytimes, evenings, weekends and school holidays. Having a short break can enable parents and carers to have the time to undertake training, leisure activities, day to day tasks, or education.

Short Breaks are only intended for children and young people who have an impairment. There is other support available from children’s services and other organisations for children and young people with additional needs resulting from abuse or trauma for example, but who do not have a ‘disability’.

The Equality Act 2010 tells us a disability is a person with: ‘A physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities.’ We refer to ‘additional needs’ in this statement as some parents and carers and young people prefer this term.

Short Breaks programme

We aim to help children and young people with disabilities and additional needs take part in fun and safe activities. Giving their parents or full-time carers a chance to take a short break from their caring responsibilities. Your child can explore as many Short Breaks activities as they’d like. You can mix and match activities to suit your family’s needs and the things that your child or young person likes to do.

Who is this for? (eligibility criteria)

The Short Breaks programme is open to all children and young people who:

  • Have a disability and additional needs and may require support to participate fully in leisure or recreation activities
  • Are aged between 0 and their 19th birthday
  • Live on the Isle of Wight and/or attend school on the Isle of Wight

Types of activities we fund

The Short Breaks programme funds two main types of activities:

  • Support for less complex needs. Enabling attendance of mainstream activities, play schemes, clubs and groups
  • Specialist activities. Which run specifically for children and young people with moderate or complex needs

Reason for funding Mainstream activities

  • Support and assistance to access mainstream activities without dedicated support
  • Inclusive mainstream activities with dedicated support
  • Specialist activities

Reason for funding Specialist activities 

An individual support package from social care will be based on the child or young person’s individual needs. This may include the following elements depending on the assessed need:

  • Personal budgets
  • Therapeutic support
  • Overnight Short Breaks/respite care

We are aware that financial difficulties can be an issue for many families. We have asked all activity providers to consider this when applying for their Short Breaks grant.

Short breaks for providers

We have a dedicated section for providers that offer activities to children and young people with disabilities and additional needs, aged between 0 and 18 years old.

Short breaks funding for providers

We provide grant funding for providers to help provide equipment to support inclusion. Application windows open will be announced and opened throughout the year.

A panel decides what activities are funded by the Short Breaks programme. Panel members follow evaluation criteria and make collective decisions on all applications. Panels are made up of Short Breaks management team, parents and other local agencies.

Access the Short breaks facilities and activities

To access activities children will need Short Breaks membership card. Each Short Breaks membership card contains a unique reference number which will be specific to each child or young person.

Fact:  We have over 850 children and young people now have Short Breaks membership cards.

Parents/carers and siblings do not require a Short Breaks membership card to support their child or young person in accessing the Short Breaks programme.

You will need to show the activity providers your child’s Short Breaks membership card when booking/attending the activity. 

Short breaks give you opportunities to take part and try exciting activities that may interest you. It can help you develop feelings of independence and gain more confidence. You can spend time with your friends and make new ones. You can achieve personal goals and learn new skills.
Short Breaks can reassure families that your having fun and your with skilled carers who understand your needs. We can help parents or carers to have time for themselves, which can help them reduce their feelings of stress. It will give them time to focus on other children in your family or themselves. Short breaks can give your family the opportunity to meet other families who share similar experiences.
If you experience any problems in accessing a Short Breaks activity, or problems while your child is attending, please discuss this with the activity provider in the first instance. Ask for a copy of their complaints' policy if needed. If you remain unhappy, or you need some support to address the problem, please contact the Short Breaks team: call 01983 823168 or email short.breaks@iow.gov.uk
3 Picture frames containing photos of a beach, caravan bathroom and caravan kitchen

Wheelchair hire

You can enjoy a day at the beach, park, or anywhere else on the Island. The Landeez all-terrain wheelchair allows you to go where conventional wheelchairs can't. It is designed especially for outdoor use and to make closer contact with nature.

We are happy to make these wheelchairs available for use and to aid inclusion on schools trips and group outings. You can hire a chair for a morning or an afternoon free of charge, with a refundable deposit. The deposit of £25 covers up to one day per week for your family.

There are two wheelchairs available for hire from:

  • Dinosaur Isle, Sandown
  • Sandown Lifeguard Station

To hire a Landeez wheelchair, call 01983 404344, or contact us to learn more about these facilities and charges.

Caravan

The short Breaks programme on the Isle of Wight has a caravan at Lower Hyde Holiday Park, in Shanklin. It for hire from February to November. Learn more about this fantastic facility close to the beach, don't miss your opportunity to book your short Breaks caravan holiday. 

Young person with magnifying glass on purple background

Don't take our word for it trust the young inspectors!

It’s important that the voices and opinions of young people are listened to. The young inspectors scheme has been developed to capture the voice of children and young people who have a disability and/or additional needs.

Our aim is to enable any service user to carry out the role of a young inspector.

The feedback we have gained is used to develop  and improve  the Short Breaks service. Making it better to meet young people’s needs and help others choose which activities they want to do.

Short breaks Development to 2024

The Short Breaks programme is always being developed. Discover how it's changed since 1989 by reading our Short Breaks development timeline.

Other services or useful information

Children with Disabilities service we provide family support for children with disabilities.

Transition Team (moving from children’s to adult services) is the time when young people are moving from childhood into adulthood, between 14 and 25 years old. This is the time when young people are preparing to leave school and take the next steps in their adult life. For young people with disabilities and additional needs, more support may be needed during this time to enable them to reach their full potential. The transition from children’s to adult services should be a positive experience and a time of opportunity for young people. We want to support them as they become young adults. Some young people may be eligible for services from adult social care. The Transitions Team work with young people between 18 and 25 years. 

Childcare

Choosing the right childcare is an important decision and can be dependent on your child/children's needs and age/ages. See what's on offer on the IW Family Information Hub | Early years and childcare (iow.gov.uk).

IW Start for life and family hubs

Family Hubs support children, young people and their families from the point of conception until a child turns 19, or 25 years for those living with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Isle of Wight is one of 14 local authorities that are setting the standard for the development of the Family Hub provision. The island has been awarded as a "Trailblazer" local authority.  

Family centres

Our Family Hubs and Centres offer information, advice and support to families on the Isle of Wight who are expecting a baby or with children aged 0 to 19 years, 25 years for those with special educational needs or disabilities.

SENDIASS

SENDIASS stands for Special Educational Needs and Disability Information Advice and Support Service. SENDIASS Isle of Wight offers free, impartial, confidential information, advice and support to parents and carers of young people aged 0 to 25 years with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) as well as young people themselves.