Summer activities for disabled children: your top 5 questions answered

7 mins read

Friday 30 June 2023

Tags: facebook q&a, holidays, Holiday activities, holiday clubs

All children need the chance to play, but many parent carers find it difficult to access suitable play schemes, activities and short breaks for their disabled child over the summer holidays.

To help families, we were delighted to run a special Q&A session in our Facebook Group last week where parent carers had the chance to get direct advice from our helpline team.

We’ve rounded up the top 5 questions asked during the Q&A below – but you can head over to our group to read all questions and answers in full!

1. What are the best places to go to for help with funding towards holidays and play schemes?

Many charities can help families with this, ranging from small local charities to large national organisations such as the Family Fund – who often help with holidays. Our Grants webpage has information and tips about searching for a grant, as well as our own downloadable grants list with a summary of grant-giving charities and trusts.

You can also use the online Grants Search tool on our website to search for available grants for holidays and play schemes.

Social services can also help in some cases. The first stage would be to request an assessment of your child’s and family’s needs.

Social services departments have a duty under Section 17 (10) of the Children Act 1989 to safeguard and promote the interests of ‘children in need,’ and to promote their upbringing. The statutory guidance for assessments, called ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’, requires the local authority to consider factors such as health and safety, and this should include the child’s social, emotional, and developmental needs as well as family and social relationships.

Families with a disabled child may be entitled to help towards a holiday from local social services departments under Section 2 of Chronically Sick and Disabled Person’s Act 1970 and The Children’s Act 1989. You can find more advice on page 10 of our Services & Support parent guide (England only).

However, even where the need for a holiday is recognised, provision will be subject to the council’s eligibility criteria. You can check your local authority website’s ‘Local Offer’ for information on needs assessments or ask to see the eligibility criteria set by your local authority’s Children’s Services Department.

2. What are the criteria you have to meet to access holidays for your disabled child?

To access holidays outside the universal provision within the local authority (meaning provision that is open to all children and young people with no additional needs), you may need to request a ‘child in need’ assessment. Our website has more information about this assessment and a downloadable template letter you can use to request it.

After social services have carried out this assessment, they need to reach a decision about whether you and your family are in need of services, and which services are needed. In many local authority areas, a panel decides the package of services that may be offered. A care plan should be agreed between social services and you and your family, explaining the needs identified and explaining how these needs will be met. Short breaks or holidays may then be offered to help meet one of your identified needs. See page 10 onwards of our Services & Support parent guide for more information about services that could be offered (England only).

However, the criteria for an assessed need that may result in holiday, respite or short breaks package is not available nationally. Each local authority has their own eligibility criteria based on a number of factors. Unfortunately, these criteria are not always published, but you can check your local authority website’s ‘Local Offer’ or ask your social worker (the person who carried out the needs assessment) to see the eligibility criteria set by your local authority’s Children’s Services Department.

If you’re in England, this is the kind of issue you may also choose to raise with your local Parent Carer Forum so that they can work with the local authority to address any problems or difficulties families are facing.

3. How can I access short breaks for my disabled child?

To access short breaks, the starting point usually involves requesting a needs assessment from your local authority’s social services department. They have a duty to assess the needs of all disabled children, and you are entitled to get your needs as a carer assessed too.

This assessment is a process used decide if your child or your family require extra help to meet any identified needs, such as in the form of short breaks or other services. Our website has more information about how to request this assessment, including a downloadable request template letter you can use.

After social services have carried out an assessment, they need to reach a decision about whether you and your family are in need of services, and which services are needed. However, please be aware that each local authority uses their own eligibility criteria to determine whether a child or family qualify for services. See page 22 of our Services & Support parent guide for more information about this (England only), or take a look at our online advice and factsheet for advice about accessing short breaks.

4. Most holiday groups find my autistic daughter too ‘disruptive’. Where can I find groups that are inclusive and equipped to work with disabled children?

Have a look at your council’s Local Offer, which should be available on their website. This should have information about short breaks and other services for families in your area. You could also get in touch with your council’s Family Information Service who may be able to help, as well as with your Parent Carer Forum for more information about local provision.

You may also find our online advice about accessing inclusive activities useful, as well as our webpages about Early Years support.

It’s worth being aware that the Equality Act 2010 applies to all businesses and services and protects disabled people by ensuring services make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to allow accessibility. You could get advice on whether the groups and schemes you have tried are potentially breaching the Equality Act. The Equality Advisory and Support Service can give you excellent advice on this. They offer a Freephone helpline (0808 800 0082) as well as other ways of getting in touch.

5. Where can I find more information about short breaks or holiday clubs in Kent? My council’s Local Offer doesn’t give clear answers.

I’m very sorry to hear that your council’s Local Offer is not helpful. You can get in touch with Kent’s Family Information Service to see if they know more. It’s worth noting that all councils must have a Short Breaks statement on their website too. Take a look at Kent County Council’s statement on their website for more information.

Your local authority’s social services may be able to help with funding, short breaks or holiday service provision. The starting point to access this support is getting an assessment of your child’s and family’s needs. Our website has a downloadable request template letter you can use, and our Social Care pages will take you through the whole process of requesting an assessment through to what help you may be able to get.

We also have online advice about where to find holiday clubs, accessible play schemes and other recreational services near you.