Short Breaks – Coventry City Council

What are Short Breaks?

Sometimes families who have children or young people with disabilities/or health conditions benefit from a break from their caring responsibilities. Short Breaks give children and young people who have a disability the opportunity to join in with an enjoyable activity away from their parents/carers. Short Breaks allow children and young people to take part in activities, make friends, develop independence and have fun. Short Breaks also provide parents/carers a break from caring responsibilities.

See our Short Breaks Service Statement for full details about what Coventry City Council offers and any eligibility criteria attached. The same information has been used to create this website.

Who can access Short Breaks?

All children and young people who have a disability and live in Coventry are entitled to receive a Short Break.

Children and young people can access short breaks if they:

Live in Coventry
Have a diagnosed disability as defined by section 17 (11) of the Children Act 1989.

There are different types of Short Breaks available in Coventry. Eligibility criteria is applied to determine the type of service that children and young people are able to access based on their individual needs and circumstances.

Universal Services in Coventry

There is a wide range of activities provided by organisations in the community which all children and young people can access such as Scouts, Brownies, sporting clubs and various youth clubs. These clubs may set their own criteria, for example the age of the children that each club/ activity is suitable for.

Children and young people with disabilities and special educational needs should be able to access these activities if they want to. The people who run these activities have a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments to make sure children and young people with disabilities and special educational needs can access them.

To access universal services, parents, carers and young people should contact the provider directly. A list of these activities and organisations can be found on Coventry’s SEND Local Offer. The Local Offer has been designed to provide information and support for parents of children with disabilities and special educational needs.

You may also be able to find support from Coventry's Family Hub service