Welfare services for children and young people

Description

This contract will enable children and young people with special needs and disabilities to take a full and active part in community life. To do this we must make sure that support for children and young people with special needs and disabilities and their families is designed around their needs and aspirations, well co-ordinated and makes best use of the resources available. Short breaks are intended to have positive benefits for both children and young people with a disability or additional/special need and their parents and carers. Short breaks have a dual purpose: 1. The main aims of short break services are to provide children and young people with a disability or additional/special need the opportunity to: —Spend time away from their parents and carers. —Relax and have fun with their friends. —Develop their independence. 2. They also give families an opportunity to: —Have a break from their care responsibilities. —Rest and unwind. —Spend time with other members of their family. In Solihull we aim to have on offer a variety of short break activities which can be accessed by any child or young person with a disability. We aim to develop both inclusive and specialist services to offer different support to different families, depending on what they need and want. The Council is seeking to commission short breaks services from the end of the existing contract arrangements for provision of short breaks services in Solihull (29.2.2016, new contract arrangements will commence on 1.3.2016). The Council plan to commission short breaks services which will: — Give children and young people with special needs and disabilities, and their families and carers in Solihull a say in what is provided and how it is provided, reflect their views and give them choices. — Ensure that all children and young people with special needs and disabilities, and their families and carers are supported to take a full part in and enjoy local community life, using local facilities and activities wherever possible. — Prevent family crisis and support carers to fulfil their caring role through the provision of the right support at the right time. — Ensure that access to services is fair, and clear. — Ensure that children and young people with disabilities from all parts of the borough are supported to access services. — Enable children and young people to access short break activities with a chosen friend. There is different types of breaks that The Council must provide for children: This contract relates to activities for disabled children outside their home in the evenings, weekends and during the school holidays.