What are Essex Short Breaks?

Essex Short breaks give parent carers and siblings of children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities a break from their additional caring responsibilities, whilst enabling children and young people to meet friends, take part in activities, develop independence and have fun. It is part of Essex County Council's early help approach.

Who can access Essex Short Breaks?

Children and young people can access Essex Short Break's provision if they are:

• aged between 0-18, or 19-25 and have a personal budget
• have a diagnosis of special educational needs and/or a disability*
• living within the administrative borders of Essex County Council**

*supporting documents are required as part of the registration process. A person is classed as disabled if they have 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. 

**Please note that children and young people fostered in Essex, but still looked after by another Local Authority, are not eligible for a Short Breaks Digital Account. They can still access any of the Short Breaks clubs and activities, but their Local Authority will need to fund this through their care plan and pay the provider directly for the sessions attended. 

How do I sign up? 

To access this provision, a responsible adult such as a parent carer or family member can create a Short Breaks Digital Account for the child or young person. Access to the offer is then managed through that account.  Families new to Essex SEND Short Breaks will need to register for an account. 

Families already registered can log in directly. 

Where a child or young person with SEND has needs that cannot be met with the support available from family, friends or community resources, the Children with Disabilities Team will complete a Child and Family Assessment and identify any eligible needs.

Short Breaks Statement

Local authorities are required to produce a Short Breaks Service Statement so that families know what services are available, the eligibility criteria for these services and how the range of services is designed to meet the needs of the families with disabled children in the area. The requirements of the Short Breaks Statement are incorporated into this Short Breaks webpage and set out within the Short Breaks Commissioning Strategy 2021-2026.

What does the Essex Short Breaks offer look like? 

The Essex Short Breaks offer consists of a range of provision that can be accessed directly, without the need for a social care assessment. It includes: