Bringing home back home – can we reimagine Short Breaks for SEBD/SEMH?
Yes we can.
The focus has long been on children ‘a long way from home’.
The result? It does not seem to have led to any action by local authorities or providers, the same trends can be seen.
It doesn’t have to be that way.
The result? It does not seem to have led to any action by local authorities or providers, the same trends can be seen.
Short break homes are few, the majority run by local authorities.
The children who stay at short-break-only homes spend most of the time at home with their families. They visit the homes for an occasional or regular pattern of short breaks throughout the year.
Some of the children are Looked After, some section 20, some are Children in Need.
Short Breaks support a wide range of ages.
Short break have been thought of as for children with disabilities. WHY?
According to Ofsted research[1] 38% of children in 2021 were children with complex (now co-occurring) needs, such as going missing, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or general complex needs. The homes address negative childhood experiences and mental ill health,
Ofsted research observes, “Short breaks provide children with opportunities to enjoy different experiences, establish friendships and develop confidence, independence and social/emotional skills. Short breaks can also offer parents or carers a valuable respite from caring responsibilities.” The average distance travelled between a child’s main home and the short-break-only home was 8 miles. The shortest distance travelled was under 1 mile.
NCERCC is going to do some searching for more reading and references. We think we know of an English reference and a new service developing as an example. We think we will find more examples internationally. It would be lovely to be wrong…
