Short Breaks - South West
If you're a caring individual who wants to support children and young people with a disability from 0 to 18 and live in the south west of England, please get in touch.
Service details
Service Name:
Short Breaks
Service Type:
Disability, Fostering, Early Years and Family Support
Phone:
01392 360865
Email:
[email protected]
Address:
Action for Children, Regus, 1 Emperor Way, Exeter EX1 3QS
Meet Harper, your virtual fostering assistant.
Click Ask Harper at the bottom of your screen to learn about fostering, get answers to your questions, and explore the application process. Available 24/7, with live advisor support 10am to 3pm, Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays)*.
Need fostering advice? We're here to help.
Chat with our team on WhatsApp between 10am and 3pm, Monday to Friday*, or Ask Harper for instant support 24/7.
Chat with us on Messenger.
Connect with our team via Messenger between 10am and 3pm, Monday to Friday*, or Ask Harper for instant support 24/7.
View our current service statement of purpose.
Short breaks provides short stays for disabled children in the home of a carer. Each short stay lasts at least for 24 hours, often two nights. These can be weekends, midweeks, and school holidays.
Short breaks carers offer children with disabilities a safe, meaningful, and enjoyable experience with another family. They also help families get a much-needed break and parents benefit by knowing their child is safe and cared for during this time.
Our aim is to provide the children with enjoyment, safety, and fulfilment during their short breaks away from their own home. As well as having fun, our objectives are to support the children to manage their own self-care and danger awareness, promote independence, build new relationships, experience a different household, and access facilities in the local community.
The children our carers support are between 0-18 years of age and have a range of different types of disability. Some children have learning disabilities and some children are neurodiverse – they may have an autism diagnosis.
They may have communication difficulties or needs affecting the senses. Some have attachment, trauma, or associated emotional needs. Some may have more medical needs such as epilepsy, colostomy, gastrostomy. Other types of disability include global development delay and Down syndrome.
Some carers will do this as a full-time role. Others will do smaller chunks of short breaks when they are not at work.
As a short breaks carer, you will need to:
- Have a spare room.
- Be over 21 years of age.
Ideally we would like people to have some kind of previous experience with supporting children or adults with a disability, either in a work or personal capacity. However, we have excellent training available.
Frequently asked questions
*Live advisers are usually available 10am to 3pm, Monday to Friday. Hours may vary during holiday periods.