Short Breaks Services have been defined as services that give:

• Children and young people with disabilities enjoyable experiences away from their primary carers, thereby contributing to their personal and social development and reducing social isolation
• Parents and families a necessary and valuable break from caring responsibilities.

Short Breaks Services can include care in the homes of children with disabilities or elsewhere, educational or leisure activities outside their homes, or services available to assist carers in the evenings, at weekends and during the school holidays.

Families living in the borough who have a child or children with a disability aged between 0 – 18 are potentially eligible for Short Breaks Services.

The Equality Act 2010 defines disability as either a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on the ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. This includes children and young people with Autism and children who may have challenging behavior as a result of a learning disability. It also includes children who have complex needs, who require palliative care, or who have a life limiting or a life-threatening condition.