Breaks must be available to carers

Welsh Government regulations have come into force today detailing how local authorities must allow carers of disabled children to take the short breaks they are legally entitled to.

The short breaks, made statutory in the Children and Young Persons Act 2008, are not just respite for the parents or carers. They also provide an opportunity for disabled children and young people to spend time with other children their own age.

The breaks are not meant to be a last resort, they should be part of a more general package of support for carers. The flexibility of breaks needs to be matched to the needs of families.

The Welsh Government has provided £1.5 million annually for 4 years in specific grant funding to local authorities between 2007 and 2010, to promote and improve short break services for disabled children, young people and their families. Since 2010 that funding has been supplied through the Local Authorities’ revenue Support Grant.