Community short breaks

We provide community short breaks to families needing some support in their caring role. These are regular, planned breaks. This is a vital service which helps to prevent families from reaching breaking point. The focus is on keeping families together and short breaks can often be a key support in preventing a child from coming into care.

The service offers crucial support to children and their families who find themselves in a variety of difficult circumstances. This might be grandparents who have become full time kinship carers for their grandchildren, parents who care for children with additional needs and might need a break or single parents with young children, who have no family or community supports. We work alongside families, recognising the pressure they may be under.

Community Short Breaks carers provide a minimum of one weekend a month caring for a child. The children are carefully matched with the carer who will look after the same child or children on a regular basis. Introductory meetings and visits take place before a short break starts. Carers and children have the opportunity to build strong - and sometimes lifelong relationships.