Issue - meetings

Short breaks play a vital role in supporting many children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) in Surrey. Short breaks provide disabled children and young people with the opportunity to have fun, see their friends and try new activities. They enable families to have a much needed break from caring.

This report provides the Cabinet Member for Children and Families Wellbeing with an update on progress made to re-commission short breaks in Surrey since the last report on 22 November 2016. It is not, at this stage, seeking a decision on award of contracts and grants, which will be sought from Cabinet through a subsequent report on 18 July 2017. It does however seek the Cabinet Member’s endorsement to begin a six week period of engagement with families, partners and stakeholders in relation to the impact of proposed changes to Surrey’s short breaks offer. This engagement will inform Cabinet’s final decision on 18 July 2017.

The Cabinet Member agreed to:

1.    note the update on re-commissioning short breaks and the revised offer;

2.    endorse a period of public engagement in relation to the impact of proposed changes to short breaks services for disabled children and young people in Surrey, beginning on 8 May 2017 and running until 16 June 2017; and

3.    agree that final proposals in relation to short breaks innovation grants will be reviewed with the Cabinet Member for Children and Families Wellbeing for feedback prior to the start of the public engagement process.