Commissioned Short Breaks - Group Activity (3)

Under the Breaks for Carers of Disabled Children Regulations 2011 the local authority must:

a) Have regard to the needs of those carers who would be unable to continue to provide care unless breaks from caring were given to them; and

b) Have regard to the needs of those carers who would be unable to provide care for their disabled child more effectively if breaks from caring were given to them to allow them to -

a. Undertake education, training or any regular leisure activity

b. Meet the needs of other children in the family more effectively, or

c. Carry out day to day tasks which they must perform in order to run their household.

In offering short breaks, the local authority must provide a range of services which are sufficient to assist carers to continue to provide care or do so more effectively. In particular, the local authority must provide, as appropriate, a range of -

a) Day time care in the homes of disabled children or elsewhere,

b) Overnight are in the homes of disabled children or elsewhere,

c) Educational of leisure activities for disabled children outside their homes, and

d) Services available to assist carers in the evenings, at weekends and during the school holidays.

As per the Equality Act 2010, a person is defined as disabled 'if you suffer a physical or mental impairment that has 'substantial' and 'long term' negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities'. Disability can arise from a wide range of impairments which include (not an exhaustive list):

• Sensory (affecting sight or hearing)

• Fluctuating or recurring effects (i.e. epilepsy)

• Developmental i.e. autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia and dyspraxia

• Learning disabilities

• Produced by injury to the body including the brain