Brokerage - Targeted Short Breaks for Children

Brokerage Service to manage and oversee access to the Short Breaks Individual Payments service and participation into universal services

Overview

A single provider will be commissioned to deliver two complementary services to increase access, inclusion, choice, and flexibility for children and young people with SEND and their families to access activities in the community.

• Practical Support and Inclusion: will provide time limited, targeted support to enable children and young people with SEND to access, participate in, and sustain involvement in universal and mainstream community activities. The service will reduce barriers to participation and build confidence, skills, and independence through practical, emotional, and social support before, during, and after activities. Providers will also work with universal services to support reasonable adjustments and promote inclusive practice, including embedding the Department for Education's Creating Inclusive Provision toolkit.

Target Group

• Children and young people with SEND aged 0-18
• Resident in Cheshire West and Chester
• Families requiring individualised support to access activities participation

Service delivery

Preparation and planning

• Meet with the family ahead of the activity to understand individual needs, interests, triggers, and preferred support strategies
• Liaise with activity providers to share relevant information and agree reasonable adjustments to support inclusion
• Support the child or young person to understand what to expect from the activity, including routines, environments, and social expectations

Activity delivery

• Deliver time limited, targeted practical support to enable children and young people with SEND to access, participate in, and sustain involvement in universal and mainstream community activities.
• Support children and young people before activities to prepare them for participation, including building understanding, confidence, and readiness.
• Provide in activity support to reduce barriers to participation, promote inclusion, and enable meaningful engagement in a safe and supportive way.
• Offer post activity support to reflect on experiences, reinforce learning, and build confidence for future participation.
• Use practical, emotional, and social support strategies tailored to individual needs, interests, and abilities.
• Promote the development of independence, confidence, and life skills, with support gradually reduced where appropriate.
• Ensure support is person centred and outcomes focused, enabling children and young people to build sustainable participation in community activities.

In-activity support

• Provide hands-on support during activities to help the child or young person settle, engage, and participate alongside peers
• Use strategies such as modelling, prompting, reassurance, and graded encouragement to support social interaction, communication, and emotional regulation
• Act as a bridge between the child or young person and the activity provider to support positive engagement and inclusion
• Liaise with activity providers to share relevant information and agree reasonable adjustments to support inclusion