Short break activities and overnight breaks

Targeted short break activities

Targeted short break activities are for parents and families of children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The service offers parents, families, and young people a 'short break' from each other, with fun activities arranged for children and young people while parents and families can have a 'short break' from their care duties.

Activities can include:

  • visits and trips
  • sports sessions
  • crafts
  • baking
  • games
  • educational activities
  • and many more

We recognise that children and young people with SEND may need more support to take part in activities.

Targeted short breaks can be provided by a number of different organisations including schools, charities and the Local Authority (LA), including:

  • extended day activities, such as after school clubs, breakfast clubs and holiday activities
  • summer schemes

Eligibility for Short Breaks

Your child or young person must:

  • live in Westmorland and Furness
  • have a disability as defined in the Equality Act 2010
  • have an Education, Health and Care Plan
  • be within the academic year groups Year 1 to Year 13

How it works

The year for Targeted Short Break activities runs from 1 February to 31 January (for example 1 February 2025 to 31 January 2026).

Eligible families get 76 free hours of Targeted Short Breaks activities. This is approximately 1 hour and 25 minutes per week. These hours are set and cannot be added to.

How and when to register

If families believe their child is eligible, they can register for the service during our registration windows.

This is usually in October for the following year (for example, October 2024 for the Targeted Short Break activities between February 2025 to 31 January 2026.)

If families miss this, another window will usually be available in the April/May for the latter half of the year.

Booking Targeted Short Break activities

Families can book sessions for their child via a booking link that will be given to them after they register. Activities will be listed on a platform for parents and carers to choose from. This will include the number of hours.

Targeted short breaks cancellation policy

Inevitably there needs to be a cancellation policy, when a child or family want to cancel an activity, the provider cancels the activity and occasionally the Local Authority cancels an activity.

Child or family:

After you have booked on to an activity or series of activities you may find that you need to cancel them.

  • if you cancel 24 hours or more before the start of a series of activities or individual activity, you will automatically get those hours back
  • if you cancel with less than 24 hours’ notice you will not automatically get those hours back
  • if you cancel part way through a serious of activities, you will not automatically get those hours back
  • if you miss one activity in a series, you will not get those hours back

If someone else cancels:

  • if the provider cancels, then you will get those hours back
  • if the local authority cancels you will get your hours back

Short breaks statement [PDF, 200KB]

Further information

If you would like to speak to someone directly about short breaks, or have any questions surrounding eligibility or the registration process please call 01229 408 100. Or you can email the service at shortbreaks@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk.