Decision details

Approval to consult on a revised model for allocation of the discretionary short break grant with effect from 1 May 2016.

*PLEASE NOTE This decision was originally published on or near the date of the decision and so call in no longer applies. It has been re-published as part of the change in committee management system that we use.*

The County Council’s Strategy for support Disabled Children, Young People and their Families was approved by the Executive on 26 May 2015. The strategy sets out a coherent approach to support and provision and ensures that the Council meets its statutory duties with an increased focus on light touch interventions for families to meet their needs together with a reduction in the number of families requiring access to high cost statutory services.

Discretionary short breaks for those children and young people who do not meet the eligibility criteria for statutory Disabled Children’s Services were introduced in 2012 with parents able to make applications for a grant.

It was agreed, as an outcome of the public consultation on the overarching Strategy, that the proposal to reduce the budget for discretionary Short Breaks from £150K to £100K should be deferred to 2016/17 pending consultation on a revised Short Breaks statement which would incorporate revised arrangements for the allocation of the discretionary grant.

It is now proposed to consult service users on revisions to the Short Breaks Statement which sets out arrangements for the allocation of the discretionary short break grant with effect from 1 May 2016.