Our short breaks services offer opportunities for children and young people aged 0 to 18 with disabilities to have fun away from their families and carers.
These breaks can be for a few hours, half a day, a full day or overnight.
We aim to improve the quality of life for families, especially if they feel they are in crisis or experiencing difficulties.
There are three categories of short breaks:
Our short breaks statement sets out how we will provide short breaks for disabled children, young people and their families in Hounslow.
It is reviewed regularly with parents, carers, children and young people to make sure we are meeting the needs of children and young people in Hounslow.
Universal services
Our universal services are available to all children and young people in Hounslow.
For example, leisure centres, youth clubs and sporting activities.
You can learn more about these services on the Family services directory website or:
- by phone: 020 8583 3470
You must register with short breaks to access the activities that are available for pathway one (see below).
Non-assessed short breaks
Our non-assessed short breaks programme is open to all children and young people aged up to 18 who:
- have a disability
- have special educational needs (SEN)
- live in Hounslow
Our non-assessed short breaks programme has three pathways, which are used to assess the current needs of your child or young person:
- Pathway one: Your child will most likely attend a mainstream school and can access most mainstream activities with little support
- Pathway two: Your child will either attend a mainstream school (with access to specialist support) or attend a special school – they most likely will have an education, health and care plan (EHCP)
- Pathway three: Your child will attend a specialist provision and require specialist support to access short breaks. They will most likely have an EHCP and may be known to the children with disabilities social work team
You can learn more about the non-assessed pathways in the short breaks statement.
You can register your child or young person to access the non-assessed short breaks programme by calling 0208 583 3636. The registration will take about 20 minutes.
If you have any questions regarding the non-assessed short breaks service, you can get in contact by:
- phone: 0208 583 3636
- email: shortbreaks@hounslow.gov.uk
Assessed short breaks
Our assessed short breaks are provided by specialist services to support children and young people.
Your child or young person must:
- require a high level of support
- have a social worker in the children with disabilities social work team
Your child or young person will need to be assessed to access these services.
The assessment is carried out by your child or young person’s social worker or Children with Disabilities (CWD) family support worker from the CWD team.
Other activities
You can learn about community-based activities on the Things to do pages on this website.
