Short breaks

Types of short breaks, eligibility and costs

There are 3 types of short breaks available for children and young people with disabilities:

community groups and activities
targeted short breaks
specialist short breaks

Community groups and activities

Community groups and activities are also known as universal short breaks as they are open to everyone, not just children with disabilities.

These groups and activities for 0 to 19 year olds run outside school hours and at weekends.

Examples include:

clubs such as Brownies or Cubs
after school or leisure clubs
day nurseries

Eligibility for community groups and activities

You do not need an assessment from a social worker to use community groups and activities.

You can contact the services directly. Search for community groups and activities near you in our directory.

Show me community groups and activities

Costs for community groups and activities

You must pay for community groups and activities.

Targeted short breaks

Targeted short breaks are for children and young people with disabilities from 0 to 19 years old, who cannot use community groups and activities without support.

Targeted short breaks run on weekends, evenings and school holidays, and include:

specialist holiday play schemes
specialist sports or activity clubs

Eligibility for targeted short breaks

You do not need an assessment from a social worker to use targeted short breaks.

For targeted short breaks run by voluntary or community services, you can contact providers directly.

You can also be referred by a professional working with your family.

Search for targeted short breaks in our directory.

Show me targeted short breaks

Targeted short breaks funded by the council

The council funds some targeted short breaks. You can apply using the Bucks Activity Project website.

When applying for a targeted short break funded by the council, you will need to:

show your child is eligible
complete a support questionnaire to make sure we can provide the right support, and confirm which of our 2 levels of targeted short breaks to offer you

You can download a support questionnaire if your child is:

0 to 5 years
5 to 19 years

Read about eligibility for targeted short breaks funded by the council in our short breaks service statement.

Costs for target short breaks

If a targeted short break is provided by a voluntary or community service, you will pay all costs involved.

If a targeted service is funded by the council, you will pay activity fees.

Specialist short breaks

Specialist short breaks are for children and young people with disabilities from 0 to 18 years old and their families.

These breaks cater for children with multiple, complex needs, and include both daytime and overnight services.

Specialist short breaks are funded by the council.

Eligibility for specialist short breaks

Not all children and families are eligible for specialist short breaks.

Your child's social worker must first complete a child and family assessment.

This assessment allows us to work out if your child is eligible for a specialist short break, and which one would suit them best.

You will normally be directed to targeted short breaks before a specialist short break is considered.

Costs for specialist short breaks