Join our final feedback session
You are invited to a feedback session to share your views. This will be about the findings of our consultation and the way forward for our short breaks service.
We will share a revised commissioning plan. This responds to your feedback about proposed changes gathered in the consultation. We will be happy to answer any questions and listen to feedback.
There are 2 sessions to choose from.
In person
Date: Tuesday 28 April
Time: 9:30am to 10:30am
Where: Bracknell Open Learning Centre
Online
Pop the date in your diary and select the link to join at the meeting start time:
Attendees
Sessions will be run by:
- Becky Durrant, Short Breaks Co-ordinator
- Fong Chin, Commissioner (Children’s)
- Lou Richer, Head of Specialist Family Safeguarding
If you are unable to join our feedback sessions, you can send feedback through email to short.breaks@bracknell-forest.gov.uk.
Amendments to proposed changes to targeted short breaks
In 2025, we carried out a review and spoke with parents, carers and children and young people.
What we learned
We heard from families that they were worried about shorter sessions.
They felt that shorter sessions will:
- limit benefits for children
- increase stress and reduce quality of respite, particularly for children who need more time to adjust
We also learned that:
- targeted short breaks need to focus on supporting children with specific needs
- current targeted services delivered by Kids are successfully meeting the needs of children and young people with moderate to complex need
- current targeted services do not meet the needs of children with mild to moderate or social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs who can’t access mainstream activities
- opportunities need to be provided across the special education needs community
We acknowledge there was not universal agreement about our proposals. We have adapted the proposals to listen to all voices.
How your feedback has shaped our proposal
Based on what you told us, we have adapted our approach.
Our aim is to create short breaks that offer children and young people the most appropriate support based on need, while working within the budget available.
Our revised proposal includes the following.
Targeted support
We will:
- commission a targeted short breaks service for children and young people with learning disabilities
- offer 5‑hour sessions at weekends and during school holidays, in response to feedback about session length
- commission additional shorter, more frequent targeted sessions, including special interest and activity‑based offers, to support children who are not currently accessing short breaks
Support to access mainstream activities
We will continue the Inclusion Fund for children and young people who can attend mainstream activities with additional support.
Clearer access and fairness
We will:
- introduce central registration with the short breaks service for families who want to access targeted support
- allocate children and young people to a pathway for targeted support and refer them to appropriate providers
- monitor providers to help make sure there is fair and equitable access to sessions
Growing wider opportunities
We will:
- grow universal SEND activities
- work closely with voluntary and community providers to create opportunities across a wider range of needs and disabilities
Clearer information
We will:
- make eligibility rules clearer across all short breaks
- improve information, guidance and signposting so families can more easily understand what support is available