Short Breaks Clubs and Activites

4Children is now the lead provider for Short Breaks Clubs and Activities for children and young people who have a disability in Essex. 

This means that from now on you’ll need to get in touch with us and not Essex County Council if your child or young person would like to access a Club or activity. For all other community based short breaks you would still need to contact The Shortbreaks Team in the normal way.

4Children is a national charity and as well as running day nurseries, out of school and youth clubs, we also run specialist services like this one, for children and families.

We want to make sure that every child and young person in Essex, who is eligible to access a club or activity, gets the opportunity to do so.

Our Short Breaks Advice and Information Service will provide a range of information on different schemes and activities that could be of benefit to your child/young person and your family and will offer a matching service for families seeking a place at a short break activity or club in Essex.

What are Short Breaks Clubs and Activites?

They provide an opportunity for a child or young person to take part in an activity, away from their family/carers, giving them the chance to develop their independence, make new friends and try new things. It also gives the young person’s family some time to spend doing things they may not otherwise be able to do with a young person who has a disability. This might be something as simple as going to the cinema with a sibling or just spending a few hours catching up on sleep!

There are providers of clubs and activities across the County, offering summer clubs, out of school sessions, either as specialist or integrated groups. The providers we work with all meet quality standards, and are committed to providing high quality care and support to children, young people and their families.

How do I know whether my child can access clubs and activities?

If your child or young person;

• Lives in Essex (excluding Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock local authority areas)
• Is 0-18 or 19 -25 years old and in receipt of a personal budget
• Has confirmed diagnoses of special educational need and/or disability

Then they are eligible to access clubs and activities through this service.

How can I be involved?

We really want you to be involved in making this a great service for the children and young people, so please get involved if you can!

Look out for our Parent, carer and sibling “consultation” events. These are informal events across the county where we will invite you along for a cuppa, a biscuit and a chat and of course, to provide you with helpful information. These events will be advertised via our Facebook page and website. If you would like advance notice, call or email us and we’ll make sure you are the first to know.

We also ask for feedback in other ways via feedback forms, emails, phone calls and surveys, we will make sure you have the chance to be listened to!