Warwickshire’s Integrated Disability Service,
Short Break Services Statement 2011-12
1)Introduction
Warwickshire Integrated Disability Service
Short breaks within Warwickshire are provided to children and young people with a disability through the Integrated Disability Service; our service brings together professionals from Education, Connexions, Health and Social Care.
We provide a range of services to support children and young people with additional needs and their families/carers at home, school and other settings.We are based in three locations to enable services to be responsive to local community requirements within Warwickshire.
One referral / contact opens the door to specialist staff teams:
Teaching and Learning – supporting and supplementing the work of schools and pre-school settings, enabling youngsters to achieve.
Occupational Therapy – providing assessments and a range of therapeutic interventions.
Social Care - responsible for the assessment and provision of services, including individual and family counselling, short breaks and homecare for children who meet the Child In Need Criteria.
Connexions Special Advisers - linked to Warwickshire Special Schools. They offer information and guidance for young people from 13-19 years, supporting them into positive destinations when they leave school.
Portage- home-based teaching programme for pre-school children with developmental delay. It aims to help children and parents/carers gain new skills through play activities.
Child Development Service - providing a co-ordinated, multi-agency assessment and follow up services to pre-school children with complex needs.
Key Working – providing a named person who acts as a source of support for the family and a link by which other services are accessed. They ensure the coordinated delivery of a Family Service Plan.
Short Break Service – Provides a home or community based opportunity for adisabled child/young person, up to 48 hours support. This is currently a lower level service for children who do not need the Child In Need Criteria.
Volunteer Service – Provides a range of support to children/young people and families within home or community based opportunities and accessing enhanced provisions.
The IDS mission is to make a difference by:
Challenging barriers to opportunities
Connecting seamless routes to services
Delivering local services
Listening and reflecting the views of those we work with
Working together in effective partnerships
Making changes and new developments based on what works
2)Short Break Duty
Paragraph 6 (1) (c) of Schedule 2 of the Children Act 1989 requires LocalAuthorities to provide services designed to give breaks for carers of disabledchildren.
Regulations relating to this duty came into force on 1 April 2011,requiring each Local Authority to produce a Short Break Services Statement by 1st October 2011.
This Statement aims to inform families of the services that are available, the
eligibility criteria for these services, and how the range of services is designedto meet the needs of families with disabled children in Warwickshire.
Reviewing the Statement
As required, this Statement will be regularly monitored and reviewed through theIDS Parent and Carer Steering group, IDS Steering Group and the disabled children youth forums. This will enable IDS to align any future consultation processes orreviews with service planning and commissioning cycles, to ensure that theStatement remains relevant.
3)Consultation Process
This Statement has been compliedusing information from parents, carers,children and young people and relevant professionals gathered over the course of the Aiming High for Disabled Children (AHDC) Short Break Transformation Programme, and as part of the IDS on going consultation and monitoring withservice users in the planning, commissioning and evaluation of their short break services.
Consultation and involvement with Parents and Carers
IDS has a strong involvement with parents and carers – we have an established Parent/Carer Steering Group and a Parent/Carer Forum who are integral to the developments of IDS short breaks.
The group’s joint aims are:
To bring a parental view to the management and governance of the Integrated Disability Serviceby:
- Acting as ambassadors for families using the Integrated Disability Service and support others to speak up
- Encouraging greater involvement of parents and carers in key decisions affecting their future service needs
- Acting as a critical friend to the Integrated Disability Service to maintain a climate of openness and trust
- Using its combined knowledge, skills and judgement so that itscontribution helps IDS to support children and young people to be the best they can be.
We have also developed a Family Voices programme, which enables parents and carers to share their experiences as well as delivering disability awareness training.
Consultation with our disabled children and young people
We have established three youth forums with voluntary partners in order to consult and share developments with disabled young people – The WACKY Forum is an established group of young people in special schools meeting on a monthly basis. The young people are elected by their peers to represent their school. This group is supported by New Ideas.
Through Aiming High and the Early Intervention Grant we have developed two further groups;A Friendship and Participation Group for young people in Transition into mainstream secondary school and Moving On Moving Up for young peoplealready at secondary special school. Both of these groups are supported by KIDS.
4)Breaks for Carers of Disabled Children Regulations (Summarised)
A copy of the Breaks for Carers of Disabled Children Regulations 2011 isavailable for detailed reference via the following link:
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/707/pdfs/uksi_20110707_en.pdf
In order to meet these regulations, Local Authorities musthave regard to the needs of carers in respect of their capacity to care for, orcontinue to care for, their disabled child and must provide a range of servicesdesigned to meet this need. A Short Break Services Statement must beprepared and published annually, outlining how this is to be achieved.
Duty to make provision (summary)
Local Authorities must take into account the needs of carers who would:
• Be unable to continue caring for their disabled child unless breaks fromcaring were given;
Or
• Be able to give more effective care, if breaks were given to allow themto, forexample, attend educational classes, leisure activity, meet the needs ofotherchildrenin the family, or carry out necessary day to day tasks inthe household.
Types of services which must be provided (summary)
Local Authorities must, so far as is reasonably practicable, provide a range of
services sufficient to meet the needs of carers to care or care moreeffectively, including;
• Day Care in the child’s own home and elsewhere
• Overnight Care in the child’s own home and elsewhere
• Educational or leisure activities for children outside of their own homes
• Services in the evenings, at weekends and during school holidays
The Short Break Services Statement, a published description of the services provided to support families of disabled children and young people, is linked to the Children & Young Peoples Plan and kept under review.
Underlying principles:
• Short breaks to be additional to universal provision – where criteria are met.
• Short breaks should be preventative – not just a crisis intervention.
• Short breaks should support carers and provide benefits to children and young people.
• Short breaks should improve outcomes for disabled children, young people and their families.
• Short break services should consider siblings as part of a family assessment.
• Short breaks are personal to individual need.
• Local authorities to focus on impact of impairments on family life – not eligibility dependent entirely on conditions.
5)Definition of Short Break Services
Short breaks through IDS provide opportunities for disabled children and young people to have enjoyable experiences away from their primary carers, thus contributing to their social inclusion and personal and social development. They also
provide the parents and carers of disabled children with a necessary andvaluable break from their caring responsibilities.
Short breaks can include day, evening, overnight, weekend or holidayactivities.They can take place in the child’s own home, in the home of anapproved careror in a residential or community setting.
The Current Provision of Short Breaks in Warwickshire
Short Breaks Services for disabled children inWarwickshire has undergoneconsiderable development and transformation from2008/9 onwards.
As a result of greater investment and more collaborativeworking with parents and carers, as well as a more effectiveconsultation process with children and young people themselves, IDS has been able to plan and develop a range of new services that have expanded the menu of opportunities for short breaks on offer. This enables the most more complex disabled children/young people to receive an increased level of short break offer, and has also increased the actual numbers of disabled children and young people accessing Short Break Services through enhanced level support.
A menu of opportunity has beendeveloped to enable families and professionals to have ease of access to information about those short breaks available through IDS.
See Appendix 1
6)Access and Eligibility to Short Break Services
The eligibility for services and short breaks is based on the following principles:
Promoting the health, safety and well being of disabled children and youngpeople, ensuring they can fully participate in family and community life,enjoying themselves with friends and making decisions about their lives
Preventing family crisis through the provision of the right level of support atthe right time
The need to be fair, clear and equitable.
Ref; The Children and Young Persons Act 2008
Not all children and families will need the same level of support and short breaks;
some will need more than others because of the nature and severity of their child's
disability. Some families may need more support because of their individual family
circumstances. This is why the Local Authority may need to assess a child/young person and their family to ensure the right amount of support and quantity of short breaks are provided at the right time.
IDS are committed to provide individual children and young people access to a reasonable level of short breaks that also ensures there is an equitabledistribution across the County.
Short Break services delivered through the Social Care Teams (when a child is assessed as a Child in Need) are dispersed through a Needs Matrix where an average allocation is identified. In most cases, this process will determine the quantity of Social Care-funded support the Local Authority will provide in order to meet identified need.
IDS have a single referral system which enables families to access support services, including information, advice and guidance, training, support for siblings, and the allocation of a named professional or key worker to help co-ordinate the support afamily receives. IDS can also support families through transition from children's to adult's services.
Local Short Breaks
Below is a description of Short Break Services within IDS and how these areprovided and accessible to families:-
(a)Universal or Mainstream Services:
Youth clubs, uniformed groups (i.e. cubs, brownies), leisure centres andactivity-based groups.These are directly accessible with no assessment necessary.
Some children with special needs can besupported in child care settings through IDS Volunteer Service.
(b)Enhanced services:
These are specific services for disabled children directly accessible through a referral from an IDS professional or via a Common Assessment Framework (CAF) undertaken by a known professional outside the IDS and who is involved with a family.
This includes services provided by Warwickshire’s Voluntary Sector Partners such as ILEAP; Thrill and Chill activities, ILEAP Children Activity days, KIDS; Moving on Moving Up Group and Friendship and Participation. IDS have a Short Break Service and a Volunteer Service as well as the opportunity for families to hire one of the IDS mobile homes for a short break.
Access to the Voluntary Sector Partners provision will be depending upon capacity and the remit of the groups. For example KIDS - Moving On, Moving Up isspecifically for young people in transition to adulthood who attend a special school.
Access to the IDS Short Break Service is allocatedthrough a monthly triage multi-disciplinary meeting should criteria be met.
Most providers allocate on a first come, first served basis.
(c)Targeted Services - provided through eligibility to Social Care Team
These are only allocatedafter an assessment by an IDS social worker and Child in Need criteria has been met. Following the assessment of need, the range of short breaks that the Local Authority is able to provide is determined by the outcome of the Needs Matrix. This is discussed with the family and a reasonable level of support is offered.
(d)Specialist Services - provided through eligibility to Social Care Teams
These services are accessible only via a Core Assessment having been undertaken by an IDS social worker or through a Continuing Health Care Assessmentundertaken by a health professional. Following this assessment, families may be eligible for overnight support. This Social Care provision is considered and allocated through a multi-disciplinary overnight short break panel where the optionsovernight short breaks with a Family Link/ Contract Carer,or a residential short break unit within Warwickshire/Coventry is considered.
Short breaks provided by South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust are agreed at the monthly Continuing Care Panel following assessment by a specialist nurse and could include home-based support from the Continuing Care Nursing Team.
It is important that those families who have the highest levels of need have access to
these targeted and specialist services.
See Appendix 2 for full list of Short Break Provision
7)Evaluation of Short Breaks
This comprehensive evaluation identified the following impacts short breaks have had for families known to IDS:
- Improvements in family life with increasedcapacity to sustain family without the need for crisis intervention from Social Care
- Children and Young People showing increased self-esteem, social interaction and participation in activities
- Through joint working there are now fewer assessments for families to under take
Our priority for the future will be to maintain a range of short break opportunities for children/young people and to continue to monitor itsimpact.
Appendix 1
Warwickshire’s Short Break menu of opportunities for Disabled Children and Young People 2009/2011
Strategic Vision; Every child and young person, including those who are vulnerable and disadvantaged, has the greatest possible opportunity to be the very best they can be.
Universal / Enhanced / Targeted / SpecialistLevel of Need / There is a minimal need to enhance the quality of life of the child/young person and their family / There is a need to enhance the quality of the life of the child/young person and their family / Children for whom, without intervention considerable deterioration is inevitable which might result in unacceptable risk to the child/young person or pressure on their carer. / To ensure that the child/young person is protected from harm / to prevent family break down
Access to services / Meets the Disability Discrimination Act definition of Disability / Self Referral
(can access *)
OR
Known to the IDS
Has a Lead professional/Key Worker
Family have had a Common Assessment Framework assessment / Family have had an Initial Assessment by IDS Social Care
Meet IDS Social Care criteria threshold / Family have had a Core Assessment by IDS Social Care
Meet IDS Social Care overnight threshold
Meet threshold for Children’s Community Nursing Team
Level of provision / Open access support / Short term
Enhanced day time
Support / Long term Targeted / intense day time support / Long term Specialist / Intense daytime or overnight short breaks
Service provision / Open Access / Family Information Service
Uniformed Organisations
Independent provider
Community groups
Mainstream play schemes
After school activities
Friendship groups
Young Carers
Father’s group / Self assessment CAF Lead professional / Support as left plus:
* Family activity days
*Access to adapted caravan
Volunteer support
Children and Young People activity days
Special interest groups
Short Break Service
Life skills group/training / Initial Assessment – Social Care Matrix of Need / Support as left plus:
Group access to:
Play Scheme’s and Saturday Club’s
Direct Payments
Home Care / Core Assessment – Social Care or Health Assessment / Support as left plus:
1-1support to access:
Play schemes and Saturday Club’s
Children’s Community Nursing Team; short break /overnight support
Overnight Short Break’s
- Family Link
- Contract carers
- Health provider
- Action for Children
Appendix 2
List of Short Break provisions available
Name / Service / ContactIDS in House Short Break Service / Provide short breaks through a sitting service within family home or by supporting to access community activities / IDS Bases
South; Orion House – 01926 413737
North; Lancaster house – 02476 368801
East; OakfieldPark –
IDS In House Volunteer Service / Support to families within families homes or enabling young people to access leisure / IDS Bases
South; Orion House – 01926 413737
North; Lancaster house – 02476 368801
East; OakfieldPark –
Direct Payments / Accessed through Social Care Initial Assessment, families are able to purchase support to meet assessed need / IDS Bases
South; Orion House – 01926 413737
North; Lancaster house – 02476 368801
East; OakfieldPark –
Take a Break / -Saturday Club
-1-1 access to leisure
-Play scheme / Through allocated Social Worker via IDS
or to purchase independently :Canterbury House Exhall Grange, Coventry. CV79HP
O24 7664 4909.
Inclusive Leisure, Education,
Activities Project
(ILEAP) / -Thrill and Chill
-Children Activity Days
-South Sitting Service / Through IDS Professional
Or to purchase support from ILEAP independently:
C/O Stratford-on-Avon District Council,
Elizabeth House
Church Street
Stratford-upon-Avon
Warwickshire
CV37 6HX
01789 260644
mobile: 07980 004381
KIDS / -Moving on Moving up
-Friendship and Participation / Through IDS Professional
Young Carers / Sibling Groups / Through IDS Professional or contact directly: Phone: 01926 485486
Email: xx
Or write to: Warwickshire Young Carers' Project
8b Holly Court, Holly Farm
Honiley
Warwickshire, CV8 1NP
Mobile Homes / 2mobile homes in Skegness
2 mobile homes in Burnham on Sea / Put in leaflet/costing’s
John Waterhouse Project, Action for Children / Residential Short Break Provision / Referral through allocated Social Worker
Gramer House/Holly House / Residential Short Break Provision – Coventry and Warwickshire NHS, Partnership Trust / Referral through Continuing Health Care Assessment
The Birches and
Bradbury House / Residential Short Break Provision – Coventry and Warwickshire NHS, partnership trust / Referral through Continuing Health care Assessment
Family Link/Contract Carers / Short Break Provision within Carers homes / Referral through allocated Social Worker
Useful web link: