Sefton’s Short Breaks Statement

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Short Breaks for Families with Disabled ChildrenAimFor all families with children or teenagers who are between 0 and 19 and have a disability to have the support they need to live ordinary family lives.

We are therefore committed to:

Listening to all disabled children, to act on their views,

and provide them with choices.

Supporting you to take part and enjoy local community life, wherever possible using local

childcare facilities, leisure and recreational activities.

Working with you as equal partners in making decisions so we can ‘get better’.

Providing useful information when you need it.

A short break is:

A meaningful and enjoyable experience, which supports the social and personal development of your child or teenager.

A planned break for parents / carers.

A range of short breaks are provided which include:

Support to access affordable and inclusive childcare to enable parents to engage in

employment and education.

Positive sports, arts, cultural and physical activities.

Personal development programmes such as after school and youth clubs.

Evening, weekend and holiday activities.

A buddying programme to help young people begin to access activities independently.

Activities are also targeted at key age groups i.e.The Best Start in Life - pre-school children.Growing Up Well - primary aged children.Readiness for Adult Life - children and teenagers aged 11-19 in education.

Details of all activities are published on the Family Information Service website, access to this is also available at children’s centres,libraries, schools, leisure centres and youth clubs.

Before attending activities parents are asked to complete a care plan’, which will help providers to put things in place which help your child or teenager to take part safely. The care plan remains valid for 1 year, it is important therefore for you to amend their plan if circumstances change.

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EligibilityFamilies eligible for short breaks are those of disabled children, who have a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal

day-to-day activities. This would impact on the following:

Mobility

Communication

Challenging behaviour

Nutrition

Continence

Elimination

Skin and tissue viability

Breathing and drug therapies

Psychological and emotional needs

Seizures

Ability to carry or otherwise move everyday objects

Coordination

Manual dexterity

Speech, hearing or vision

Memory or ability to concentrate

Learn or understand perception of risk of physical

danger

Sefton’s Specialist Support ServicesSome families with disabled children may require additional specialist short breaks and services. An assessment will be undertaken to identify your child’s needs and your caring needs. The factors we will discuss with you when assessing the support you need include:

The severity of your child’s disability, how

it impacts on their life and your family life.

If you have more than one disabled child.

The number of other children or caring

responsibilities you may have.

If you or a partner have a disability.

If you have limited support within your

social/family network.

If a child is ‘cared for’ by the Local

Authority or adopted.

If there are concerns about a child or

young person’s safety.

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We recognise that your needs will change. There will be times when you may need more support and times when you will need less support, so services will change with your needs and those of your family.

If you receive additional specialist short breaks we will review them with you at least once a year, to ensure the level of support is right for your child and family. You can of course request a review and/or a further assessment of your needs at any time.

What specialist support is available?

Outreach contact.Family based shared care. Domiciliary care.Night support – sleeping and waking.Buddying.Overnight stay at residential units e.g. Nazareth House or Springbrook.Transport. Individual packages of care and support.

Direct Payments

Direct Payments provide families with money ‘in lieu’ of direct services. This means that a family can ‘buy’ their own service thereby becoming ‘employers’. Access to Direct Payments can be done through a CAF (Common Assessment Framework) or via an assessment from social care.

A CAF will have a single lead person to co-ordinate the support you require and ensure all the professionals who are involved with your child work together to make family life easier.

This assessment is carried out by the Children with Disabilities Team. You are of course entitled to an assessment of your child and family’s needs at any time. So if you feel the basic minimum level of support is not meeting your needs or those of your family, then contact the Customer Access Team by one of the following:

Telephone: 0845 140 0845Email: SocialCare.CustomerAccessTeam@sefton.gov.uk

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Reviewing this StatementTo ensure we do provide short breaks for all families with disabled children which help them to live ordinary family lives, we will review this statement in a year’s time focussing on the following principles:

Supporting the needs of Sefton families with children or teenagers who are between 0 and 19 and have a disability.Promoting the health, safety and wellbeing of disabled children and young people, 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 at the right time.The need to be fair, clear and equitable.

During this year we will also:

Ask all our providers to collect feedback from children, young people and parents so that we will learn what works best. Assess the needs of our disabled children and teenagers.Continue to deliver training for staff and volunteers to provide them with the necessary knowledge to fully understand your child’s needs.Discuss the progress and take up of short breaks at the multi-agency Aiming High for Disabled Children’s group which has parent representatives from P.A.C.T.S and which reports to the Children’s Trust Board.

Following feedback we have received whilst producing this statement we will also look at a number of areas:

Commission a Home Sitting service Service and explore support for siblings.Review the Common Assessment Framework (CAF).Review access to Direct Payments.

Further information is available at:

www.sefton.gov.uk/familyinformationwww.moveitsefton.co.uk

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Glossary of TermsShort break: A meaningful and enjoyable experience, which supports the social and personal development of your child or teenager.A planned break for parents / carers.

Family fun days: These are day trips, for example to the seaside which enable the whole family to enjoy a day out together with some support. Additional days are provided by the Aiming High Team that offer a number of different activities that the whole family can access and enjoy together.

Holiday activities: These include holiday programme or taking part in any sports, arts or any other activities during the main and half-term school holidays. Additional activities are provided during school breaks and staffed by a number of organisations for disabled children.

Direct Payments: Direct payments provide families with money ‘in lieu’ of direct services. This means that a family can ‘buy’ their own service thereby becoming ‘employers’. The Direct Payment is used to pay a carer to undertake your caring responsibilities thus allowing you a break from your caring role.

Outreach contact: This is community based support to enable children and young people with additional needs to access and meaningfully participate in community, social and leisure based activities. The support is usually necessary to accommodate the child or young person’s additional needs, manage any risks / behaviours / and meet any other personal / physical care needs the child or young person may have.

Domiciliary care: This Is support provided to children and young people in their home, primarily to assist them with meeting their personal care needs. This would include showering, bathing, washing, dressing, feeding and would require safe moving and handling of that person and the use of equipment to do this when necessary.

Night support – sleeping and waking: This is support provided to children and young people with disabilities, usually in the child’s own home, during night hours (10/11pm-7/8am). This is to meet the child’s personal care and health needs, and any other needs as they arise, during that time. This can be provided as a sleep over, which would require the person to sleep at the child’s home and attend to the child no more than � times during one night.

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A waking night would be provided if it has been assessed as necessary to attend to the child more than � times in any one night. This would require the carer to stay awake.

Individual packages of care and support: These are what we provide to children and young people and their families following an assessment of the child’s and family’s needs. The support provided could include any of the following: outreach support; domiciliary care; night support; overnight short breaks; social and leisure clubs and groups; specialist support from another agency i.e. CAMHS; young carers; counseling, behavior support and so on. Any needs identified and support to be provided to meet those needs, would be recorded in a Child’s Care Plan. Here clearly identified aims and desired outcomes for the support would be stated and progress monitored and reviewed regularly via a Child’s review.

Family Based Shared Care: Is provided to a child in their family home. It is provided for a specific period of time and is usually personal care. For example, bathing a child or young person. The child’s parents / carers are usually present.

Overnight Short Breaks: This is when a child or young person has an overnight short break and is cared for overnight by someone other than their parents/carers. This may happen in the child’s home, in the carer’s home, in a residential setting or through an activity type holiday.

Buddying: This is when a disabled young person is allocated a specific support worker - a Buddy - who may take them out or support them to attend an activity or event which in turn promotes their social skills and independence.

CAF (Common Assessment Framework): A single and time fixed plan led by a single professional which brings together the package of support to meet your needs. This lead professional will ensure support is appropriately coordinated and delivered at times of significant change for children and families.Pre-School Support Team: This team of teaching staff work with parents / carers helping them teach their children new skills through play, providing advice and support, completing developmental assessments and running specific groups for families.

Social worker: Social workers are based in the Children with Disabilities team at Sterrix Lane in Litherland and are experienced in working with families with disabled children. They have a key role in assessing the needs of children and families and in coordinating their services.

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Disabled Children’s Information and Database: A register of need to inform and plan the right level and mix of services including gaps and barriers to access. To establish and develop links and relationships with all involved groups and organisations including Health and the Voluntary Sector.

Aiming High Team:This team provides a wide range of quality leisure and social opportunities for disabled children and young people aged �-19 years with additional opportunities for young adults aged 19 - �� years.

Transitions: The Transitions Coordinators work with young people with a learning disability aged 1�-��yrs and their families, to offer support, advice and guidance in their transition from children’s to adult services.

Jake’s Sensory World:Managed by the Aiming High Team, Jake’s Sensory World offers a fully accessible soft play area and a sensory room. There is a range of different opportunities from drop-ins to party sessions.

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Short Breaks and Support Services for Families with Disabled Children: The best start in life aged 0-5 yearsSefton’s Early Intervention Team works with all providers including the P.A.C.T.S parent’s forum, early years providers and organisations to help all settings to successfully meet the additional needs of disabled children.

We will do this by providing information, advice and guidance to parents and to settings, for example, nurseries or children’s centres. We will continue to invest in resources, buildings and equipment to enable all settings to become easily accessible. Last year we saw the openings of new settings at Crosby Lakeside and Jake’s Sensory World. This year we will make further investment at Jake’s Sensory World and children’s centres.

This will ensure that wherever possible you are supported to access services used by all parents.

Programme DescriptionGroup based Short Breaks Activity Programme

Delivers group based Short Breaks and holiday activity schemes.�7 weekly group based activities for disabled children (and siblings in some cases) across age range 0-�yrs.Jake’s Sensory World opened in February �01� – programme of short breaks activities to be developed by Aiming High Team.

Rowan Park School and Merefield School Holiday Provision

Specialist summer holiday provision for pupils of all ages unable to access any other holiday programmes because of the complexity of their disability. This scheme operates for a two week period.

Parent Network Consultation on key issues affecting families supported by children’s centres.Together Time To support children under � with additional needs and their families by offering a

range of activities at the centre to provide positive and new experiences which encourage socialisation and support carers within a framework of provision, by providing the following:

- A stay and play group - planned and guided play to meet the specific needs of disabled children led by qualified childcare worker.- Planned sessions on a daily basis in the newly created and equipped multi-sensory room.- Twice weekly respite care sessions - �.� hours each.

Special Time Together - To provide sessions where families with children with additional needs are accepted.- Where families can bring their siblings to join in activities/sessions.- To provide respite sessions for families during the school holidays.- To provide sessions in the sensory room where the children can explore the sensory equipment.- Empower families with advice and support for their children.- Advice on benefits etc where applicable.

Early Support Group To provide short-term respite for families and to provide a supportive environment where children (under �) and their families can enjoy positive activities and experiences alongside their peers.

Summer holiday provision To provide fun activities for disabled children under the age of � through children’s centres.

Jake’s Sensory World Programme under development.

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Short Breaks and Support Services for Families with Disabled Children: Growing Up Well aged 5-11 yearsSefton’s Early Intervention Team works with all providers including the P.A.C.T.S parent’s forum to ensure that whenever possible children are supported to enjoy themselves through participating in their local facilities. This may, for example, be at an after school club or at an arts or sports activity.

We will do this by providing information, advice and guidance to parents and to settings, for example for after school clubs or holiday play schemes. We will continue to invest in resources, buildings and equipment to enable all settings to become easily accessible. Last year we saw the openings of new settings at Crosby Lakeside Adventure Centre and Jake’s Sensory World. This year we will make further investment at Jake’s Sensory World and Sefton’s youth centres.

This will ensure that wherever possible you are supported to use services used by all parents.

Growing Up Well (for families with children aged � – 11)Programme Location TimeYouth club Netherton Activity Centre Saturday (� – 9s), 9.�0am – 1.�0pm

Saturday (10 – 1�s), 9.�0am – 1.�0pm alternate weeksSunday, 10am -1�pm

Meadows Leisure Centre Under review After school club Crosby Lakeside Adventure

Centre �-�pm

PHAB Kids! Dunes Splash World, Southport Monday, �-8pm Active and Able Dunes Splash World, Southport

Bootle Leisure Centre Crosby Leisure Centre Meadows Leisure Centre

Friday, �-�pm

Swimming lessons Dunes Splash World, SouthportBootle Leisure Centre

Monday, �-7pmSaturday, 9-10pm

Quiet Nights Dunes Splash World, Southport Monthly Friday, �.�0-8.�0pmSplashability Dunes Splash World, Southport Monthly Friday, �.�0-8.�0pmASD friendly screenings Plaza Community Cinema,

CrosbyMonthly Monday, �.�0-8.�0pm

Trampolining Dunes Splash World, Southport Tuesday, �-7pm Saturday, �-�pm

Rebound therapy Dunes Splash World, Southport Sunday, 1� -– �pm

We will negotiate alternative arrangements for children who live in Sefton but don’t go to school in Sefton and so may therefore have different school holidays.

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Short Breaks and Support Services for Families with Disabled Teenagers:Readiness for Adult Life aged 11 - 19 yearsSefton’s Early Intervention Team works with all providers including the P.A.C.T.S parent’s forum to ensure that whenever possible children are supported to enjoy themselves through participating in their local facilities. This may, for example, be at an after school club or at an arts or sports activity.

We will do this by providing information, advice and guidance to parents and to settings for example to sports clubs or leisure centres. We will continue to invest in resources, buildings and equipment to enable all settings to become easily accessible. Last year we saw the openings of new settings at Crosby Lakeside Adventure Centre and Jake’s Sensory World. This year we will make further investment at Jake’s Sensory World and Sefton’s youth centres.

This will ensure that wherever possible you are supported to use services used by all parents.

Programme DescriptionBuddy Up A mentoring project for young disabled people aged 1�- 1�yrs attending Crosby High

and Presfield Special Schools. The project recruits, trains and supports non- disabled young mentors aged 1�-1�yrs so they can support disabled young people to develop their confidence and self-esteem and to assist them to access activities within their neighbourhood.

Buddy Up Social Clubs Monthly social club at Crosby High School. To increase social skills and opportunities to make natural matches for ‘Buddy Up’ project.

The club will provide a social setting that will allow young people to form new relationships with mainstream pupils and to engage safely in new activities within the community. Young people will gain new skills and build confidence socially, enabling them to cope better with the transition process.

The sessions have proved successful in enabling both buddy and supporter to make their own matches whilst supervised in an unobtrusive manner by the Buddy Up Coordinator and the schools Learning Mentor, who can then nurture matches and support young people into alternative activities.

Crosby High / Well Young Persons Family Fun Week

To provide summer holiday activities for the families of disabled children and other siblings, providing families with an opportunity to have fun and enjoy each other’s company.

The week of activities is inclusive and gives the families a chance to meet other families and maintain their support networks. Target Group:Families from Crosby High and families supported through the Well Young Person Team who find it difficult to access other leisure activities and need support to enable them to access the weeks activities.

Crosby High Girls Group To provide group work opportunities for young women. To explore and manage feelings and friendships. The weekly group sessions target vulnerable young women who have special needs.

Through empowerment and a greater understanding of themselves, this particular group of vulnerable young women will gain the necessary skills to voice their feelings, and explore their thoughts.It is hoped that this will give them the skills to influence decisions which will affect their lives, and have a greater say in matters that affect them.

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Youth Clubs Programme of personal development and independent living at:Aintree - Tuesday �.�0 – 8:�0pm Netherton Activity Centre (NAC) - Tuesday �.�0 – 9pmFormby - Wednesday �.�0 – 9pmCrosby - Wednesday �.�0 – 9pmStanley - Saturday 10:�0am – 1:�0pm Orrell Mount - Wednesday �.�0 – 9pmMeols Cop - Tuesday �.�0 – 9pmStafford Moreton - Saturday 10:�0am – 1:�0pm and Monday �.�0 - 9pm

The Bridge To deliver a need-led service to young people with disabilities with an emphasis on building confidence, enhancing key skills and providing accredited award schemes such as Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards and ASDAN (Award Scheme Development and Accreditation Network).

Achieving awards will instil a sense of empowerment and pride into the young people, and the Bridge Group ensures its members have full access to accreditations and other services.

The project supports young people with additional needs and their parents/carers, and also improves their quality of life by decreasing social exclusion and providing opportunities for personal development.

Teen Club Netherton Activity Centre (NAC) - Saturday �.�0 – �.�0pm

Active and Able Including swim session Friday � – 8pm at Dunes Splash World, Southport.Splashability Dunes Splash World, Southport - Monthly Fridays �.�0 – 8.�0pm ASD Friendly Screenings

Plaza Community Cinema, Crosby - Monthly Mondays - screening �.�0pm onwards, doors open �pm.

Creative Arts Aintree Youth Centre - Tuesday, �-8pm Football - Young people with severe learning disabilities:

Chesterfield School - Monday, 6-7pm- Young people with ASDs (autistic spectrum disorders):Dunes Splash World, Southport - Tuesday, �-�pm- Young people with physical disabilities:Chesterfield School - Friday, 6-7pm

Water Sports Crosby Lakeside Adventure Centre - Saturday, 10am - 1�pm and 1-�pmTrampolining Dunes Splash World, Southport - Tuesday, �-7pm and Saturday �-�pmRebound Therapy Dunes Splash World, Southport - Sunday, 1� - �pm

* Details of activities are correct at time of printing, please check with Family Information Service and www.moveitsefton.co.uk/aiminghigh prior to attending.

We will negotiate alternative arrangements for children who live in Sefton but don’t go to school in Sefton and so may therefore have different school holidays.

We will also need to assess what is a reasonable level of support for families who have a child attending residential school who therefore has a significant amount of time living away from home.

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Short Breaks and Support Services for ParentsSefton’s Early Intervention Team works with all providers including P.A.C.T.S parent’s forum, early years providers and organisations to help all settings to successfully meet the additional needs of disabled children.

We will do this by providing information, advice and guidance to parents and to settings, for example, nurseries or children’s centres. We will continue to invest in resources, buildings and equipment to enable all settings to become easily accessible. Last year we saw the openings of new settings at Crosby Lakeside Adventure Centre and Jake’s Sensory World. This year we will make further investment at Jake’s Sensory World, children’s centres and youth centres.

This will ensure that wherever possible you are supported to access services used by all parents. In addition to the range of short breaks, your children and teenagers can access directly (with or without you), we also offer some practical support through the following:

Programme DescriptionParent Network Consultation on key issues affecting families supported by children’s

centres.DCATCH(Disabled Children’s Access To Child-care)

To enable parents of children and young people with additional needs to engage in employment, education or support for the voluntary sector by ensuring fair access to affordable, inclusive childcare.

This is achieved by removing the ‘additionality’ of childcare by:- Providing support and coaching for childcare providers.- Providing ‘Inclusion Grant’ funding for childcare settings where required.- Providing home-based care solutions through direct payments to families or specialist agencies.- Ongoing, outcomes-based case working, resulting in the equitable and ef-fective distribution and use of resources.

Triple P Stepping Stones Parenting Programme

Increases confidence of parent, which reduces behavioural needs in the home and increases ability of parents to define boundaries.

Incredible Years Parenting Programme

Increases confidence of parent, which reduces behavioural needs in the home and increases ability of parents to define boundaries.

Families First Home Visiting Parents increase their confidence to support and develop their child’s learning and become more aware of the importance of lifelong learning.

People Directorate

If you need this brochure ina different format or another

language, please contact us on:08�� 1�0 08��

www.sefton.gov.ukwww.moveitsefton.gov.uk

June �01�