Short breaks service statement

1. Introduction

Leeds City Council is committed to delivering a range of Short Breaks for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND), their parents/carers and families. Our aim is to ensure that children and young people with disabilities and their families are supported well and have their needs met. To do this we:

Listen to and respond to the voice of the child in all that we do

In all work, practice and behaviour we see the child as the client, put children and young people at the heart of everything we do, and seek to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people. This includes consideration of the transition to adulthood and the role of the family. 

We regularly seek feedback about the activities and services that children and young people access through the use of feedback forms. Professionals who know the children and young people will have direct contact with the child and may observe first-hand how well the Short Breaks being accessed meet identified needs. In addition to this, children contribute to their own plans, reviews and meetings discussing their views and opinions on the short breaks they receive. This may be in the context of their EHCP, Early Help Plan, Child in Need Plan or any other support planning process.

Staff use a range of communication aids including Makaton, Picture Exchange Communication (PECS) and Talking Mats to ensure they understand the views of a wide range of children and young people who access Short Breaks.

Use restorative practice to inform all our work

In Leeds we adopt a relational strength based approach. This means working together with families to improve outcomes for children. The emphasis of all our practice is working with children and families, rather than doing things to them or for them. Service providers become the facilitators who work restoratively, providing high support and challenge to enable families to find their own sustainable solutions to the challenges they face, and to equip them with the resilience to move forward successfully. 

Think Family Approach

We understand that people rarely live in complete isolation and therefore we need to understand the needs of the wider family when we are working with a child, parent or adult. We work together to make sure that all the people working with children, young people and adults in a family, plan and coordinate their work. This approach helps to understand the unique circumstances of an adult or child, and the strengths and resources within the family to provide for their needs, but also identifies where additional support may be required. It places a responsibility on all practitioners to respond to identified issues from signposting and referral, through to providing services.

Focus on Early Help

Extra support may be needed at any point in a child or young person's life. We seek to offer support quickly to reduce the impact of problems. We aim to make sure that practitioners have the right conversations, with the right people, at the right time so that they can identify needs and the right response. In Leeds we have 3 Early Help Hubs across the city (East, South and West). They promote and support a getting it right first time response and approach for children and families. They work collaboratively with partners to ensure seamless co-ordinated and effective Early Help support. They support schools and practitioners to develop and deliver effective Early Help Plans.

Support to take part in and enjoy local community life wherever possible

• We signpost families to local childcare, leisure and recreational activities.
• We work with families and our parent carer groups EPIC Leeds to better understand local needs and gaps in service.
• We involve families as equal partners in making decisions about service development and priorities.

2. What do we mean by disability?

Leeds City Council applies The Equality Act 2010 definition of a disability:

A link to the Equality Act 2010 and accompanying explanatory notes can be found in the useful links section of this document.

If a child is disabled, he or she is automatically a child in need. At section 17(11), the definition of disabled for the purposes of the Children Act 1989 Part III is given as follows:

3. What does the law say about Short Breaks and the information that Local Authorities must make available?

The Breaks for Carers of Disabled Children Regulations came into effect on 1 April 2011 and established in law the duty for each Local Authority to provide a range of Short Breaks for disabled children and young people, from birth up to their 18th birthday, and their parents and carers.

As part of the duty, each Local Authority must produce a Short Breaks Statement, in order to provide parents and carers with the following information:

• The range of Short Breaks available;
• How to access the range of Short Breaks available; and
• How Short Breaks have been designed to meet local needs.

More recently the Children and Families Act 2014 introduced significant changes to the way that Education, Health and Social Care work together to support children and young people with SEND. Some of the key changes include:

• Introduction of a single Graduated SEN Response Pathway and integrated Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), replacing the previous system of Statutory Assessment and Statement of Special Educational Needs;
• Publication of a clear and transparent Local Offer detailing up to date services and support available;
• Giving young people with SEND in further education and training aged 16-25 rights and protections comparable to those in school;
• Ensuring that the voice of children, young people, parents and carers (and their families) is at the heart of what we do, including shaping local services.

What is the Local Offer?

The Local Offer is a Local Authority's publication of all the provision:

The Leeds Local Offer brings together information about all the services available in the city for children and young people aged 0-25 with SEND, including Short Breaks provision. Email feedback sent to llo@leeds.gov.uk about the offer, along with the response, will be published, at least annually.

What is the Disabled Children's Register?

All Local Authorities are required under the Children Act 1989 to hold a register of disabled children and young people. The register is a list of children in Leeds who have SEND and who receive, or may one day need to use the services from Health, Social Care, Education or the third sector. This is a voluntary register and parent/carers do not have to register if they do not want to.

The information parents/carers provide assist children's services to build a broader picture of SEND across the city from a family perspective. If you would like more information, or discuss adding your child to the register please contact: CDR@leeds.gov.uk

4. What is a Short Break?

Short Breaks are activities for children and young people with SEND that enable them to have fun, spend time with friends and build their confidence and skills in a safe environment. As well as promoting best outcomes for the child, the Children Act 1989 Schedule 2 requires Local Authorities to provide services designed to assist family carers of disabled children 'to continue to [provide care], or to do so more effectively, by giving them breaks from caring'.

There are a variety of Short Breaks available to children and young people in Leeds:

• All Short Breaks take place outside of the school day. This means that activities could happen in the evening, at a weekend or during school holidays.
• Many Short Breaks take place outside of the family home; for example in local leisure centres or community spaces, although some Short Breaks may be within the family home with specialist support, such as Personal Assistant, depending on the need of the child or young person and their family.
• Short Breaks can also include overnight stays, depending on the need of the child or young person, their family and the type of activity. This may be at the home of an approved Short Breaks Foster Carer, a Specialist Residential Home, or at a Community Residential Activity Break.
• Some Short Breaks can be for a child or young person with SEND to attend independently of their families, giving parents and carers the opportunity to have a break from their caring role.
• Some Short Breaks give siblings and/or families the opportunity to take part in activities together.

5. Who are Short Breaks for?

Short Breaks in Leeds are available to children and young people who:

• Have a special educational need and/or disability
• Are aged 0 to 18 years old
• Ordinarily reside in Leeds

Eligibility decisions are based on individual need including to what extent a child or young person's disability or impairment affects their lives and the lives of those who live with and care for them.

6. What types of Short Breaks are available in Leeds and how are they accessed?

Many children or young people with SEND will access a mixture of services. Some of these may be Specialist Services provided through an assessment, and some will be accessed through Targeted Services commissioned from voluntary or independent providers. Some children will be able to access Universal Short Breaks services with or without support.

Short breaks can be described in the following three categories;

• Universal Short Breaks;
• Targeted Short Breaks;
• Specialist Short Breaks.

The information below describes what is available within each of these categories and how different types of Short Breaks can be accessed.

Universal Short Breaks

Universal Services offer Short Breaks opportunities that are open to ALL children and young people in Leeds who choose to use them whether or not they have SEND. There are lots of Universal Services available in the community which all children and young people can access such as libraries, youth clubs, children's centres, leisure centres, Scouts, Brownies, after school clubs and sports clubs. Most children or young people's needs can be met within Universal Short Breaks services and they do not require Targeted or Specialist Short Breaks.

The underlying principles of Universal Short Breaks are:

• To be preventative and to increase the inclusion offer for all children, enabling them to access their community, doing activities of their choice.
• To improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND and their families.
• To develop transition services for children and young people. This may be at key stages such as to High School or the transition to Adult Services.

Children's Centres act as a hub for the local community. The key focus of their work is high quality, inclusive early learning and childcare within the local area. They also provide information and activities for families, adult learning and employment support and integrated child and family health services. The majority of services provided at Children's Centres are for children aged 0-5 years and their parents/carers.

Universal Services offer activities that enable ALL children and young people to have fun and make friends and children with SEND should be able to access these if they want to. The people who run these activities have a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments to ensure children and young people with SEND can access these services, for example, accessing additional training to meet behavioural or medical needs.

Leeds City Council Children's Services commission Scope Activities for All as part of their Short Break commissioning. Scope Activities for All aim to challenge and develop the inclusive practice of play, leisure and activity services in Leeds so they are welcoming to children with disabilities and disabled children can attend like their non-disabled peers. They will work with any Universal Service that are offering leisure activities giving advice and support using their Quality Inclusion Mark ensuring access to Universal Activities is a real possibility. 

For help from Scope Activities for All please contact 0113 357 0038 or email leeds@scope.org.uk.

The parent information page for universal services that have gained the Scope Inclusion Quality Mark is accessible at:

https://www.scope.org.uk/family-activities-leeds/parents-carers.

How do I access Universal Short Breaks

Many Universal Services advertise their activities within libraries, schools, Children's Centres, leisure centres and community centres. You can access Universal Services by contacting organisations directly to discuss the activities they offer.

Some of these activities may be free. Some may have costs for all children and young people who access them. Children and young people with SEND should not be charged more than other children or young people.

Though we recognise that children and young people with SEND may have specialist support requirements, we encourage parents and carers to access Universal Services and discuss with providers the support that their child needs. This will help providers to increase their knowledge and skills in regards to supporting children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

Further details can be found via the Scope Activities for All or on the Family Information Service Website.

Targeted Short Breaks

Sometimes Universal Services cannot meet the needs of children and young people with additional needs, even when reasonable adjustments have been made. Targeted Short Breaks are designed specifically to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND, and include weekend, holiday activity schemes, residential and evening activities. Some Targeted Short Breaks are funded by Leeds City Council while others are provided by voluntary groups and charities.

The underlying principles of Targeted Short Breaks are to:

• supplement the universal provision available locally.
• be preventative and provide targeted support – not just as a crisis intervention.
• enable families to access Targeted Short Breaks without assessments.
• improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND and their families.

Details of Targeted Short Breaks that are currently commissioned by Leeds City Council can be found in the Short Breaks and Fun Activities directory.

Further details of other Targeted Short Breaks can be found via West Yorkshire CANN (West Yorkshire Children with Additional Needs Network):

http://westyorkshirecann.org/

How do I access a Targeted Short Break?

Families can use Targeted Short Breaks without an assessment of need. Families can directly contact the service they are interested in and arrange for the child or young person to attend. Families who would benefit from a Targeted Short Break may also have an Early Help Plan.

For all Leeds City Council Commissioned Targeted Short Breaks, there is a Targeted Short Breaks referral form. This can be completed by the parent or carer of the child or young person, or a professional working with the family to ensure that a suitable Targeted Short Break is accessed to meet the needs of the child or young person.

There may be a cost to Parent or Carer's associated in accessing Targeted Short Breaks. If you are unsure which Targeted Short Break would best suit your child's needs, then you can get advice from the Short Breaks Coordinator who can be contacted on short.breaks.coordinator@leeds.gov.uk.

Specialist Short Breaks

Specialist Short Breaks are services for disabled children with the most complex needs. Specialist Short Breaks support children, young people and their families where the child/young person's disability has a substantial and long term effect on their ability to have opportunities to be safe, develop skills for life and be part of their local community growing up. Specialist Short Breaks include:

• Day care or overnight Short Breaks with an approved Short Breaks Foster Carer;
• Leeds City Council's residential Short Break facility, Rainbow House;
• Personal Budget including Direct Payments
• Independent Support Worker (ISW), agency employed support for specific assessed needs.
• Personal budget.

The underlying principles of Specialist Short Breaks are:

• To supplement the Universal and Targeted provision available locally;
• To be preventative and provide targeted support, not just a crisis intervention;
• To improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND and their families;
• To meet the individual needs identified through an assessment.

How do I access a Specialist Short Break?

In order to access Specialist Short Breaks the child or young person will require an assessment of need.

For most Specialist Short Breaks this assessment will need to be done by a Social Worker and is called a Child and Family Assessment. There are exceptions to this which can include Personal Budgets including Direct Payments and Fostering for Children with Disabilities (day care only). These can be accessed through an Early Help Assessment, which can be carried out by a professional who knows your family well, for example a professional at your child's school.

Eligibility decisions are based on individual need including to what extent a child or young person's disability or impairment affects their lives and the lives of those who live with and care for them. However, it is likely that if a child or young person is eligible for Specialist Short Breaks support their disability and/or special educational needs could be described in one or more of the following ways:

• A significant, permanent and enduring physical disability;
• A significant global learning disability;
• A severe and enduring communication disorder;
• Autism with a significant global development delay and/or challenging behaviour; and/or
• A significant sensory impairment.

7. How to request an assessment for Short Breaks

Parent/carers can request an Early Help Assessment through service provision they already access such as education. If no Early Help professional can be identified then parent/carers can make a referral to the Duty and Advice Team (0113 222 4403) to discuss their child's needs. At the Duty and Advice Team, there are qualified Social Workers who have the training and experience to discuss any identified needs. The Duty and Advice Team will make a decision if an Early Help Assessment or a Child and Family Assessment is the most appropriate for the family. If a Child and Family Assessment is recommended, the referral will be forwarded to the relevant Social Work Team. If it is decided an Early Help Plan is the most appropriate pathway, the Duty and Advice Team will identify a practitioner to lead the assessment. This may include the use of the Early Help Hub or referring to a Cluster Team.

8. What happens when a Child and Family Assessment is carried out?

Leeds Social Work Service makes a distinction between general Children in Need services and the needs of children with severe or profound disabilities and provides a specialist service for this group.

To be offered a service by the specialist Child Health and Disability service (CHAD) the child or young person must have a disability that has been formally diagnosed, and be permanent or long term and meets at least one of the following criteria:

• Children with Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy and other physical disabilities that significantly impact on the child's well-being;
• Children and young people with severe learning disabilities;
• Children and young people with a diagnosis of Autism with associated learning disability which has a significant impact on their communication needs, social and behavioral development;
• Children and young people with multiple or severe disability;
• Children and young people with severe global development delay;
• Children and young people with severe sensory impairment; and
• Children and young people with complex physical disability and health needs.

In situations where it is not clear whether or not a child/young person meets the above eligibility criteria there will be a discussion between a manager of the CHAD Service and a manager of other teams within Children's Social Work Service to establish if any joint or co-working is required.

Children who do not meet the eligibility criteria for a service from the CHAD Service may be entitled to services as Children in Need and may be referred to other teams within Children's Social Work Service.

If a child has been referred to the CHAD service the family will be contacted by a Children with Disabilities Social Worker. The Social Worker will discuss with the family the key information that has been provided through the referral and establish if the child/young person and their family may be eligible for Specialist Short Breaks. The Social Worker will then make arrangements to visit the family and begin a Child and Family Assessment. This is an assessment that looks in detail at the needs of the child or young person with a disability and those caring for them. The assessment also takes account of all aspects of family life that may be impacting on the needs of the disabled child, siblings, anyone living in the family home and parents/ carer's ability to care. This will include a Parent Carer Assessment which considers the day-to-day impact of the caring role. It will also consider any caring responsibilities that may be placed on siblings that are children.

The CHAD service works closely with families to ensure that assessments are thorough and reflect the views of all involved. Assessments can take up to a maximum of 45 days but Social Workers aim to complete assessments without any unnecessary delay whilst still ensuring that they capture the necessary level of detail.

If the Child and Family Assessment identifies a need for Specialist Short Breaks then the recommendations of the Social Worker are presented to the Resource Allocation Decision and Review Panel (RADAR) who meet twice monthly to consider information and evidence that has been gathered alongside the views of the children and their families. The panel is facilitated by the Service Delivery Manager for CHAD and consists of a parent carer representative, Registered Manager of Rainbow House, CHAD Team Manager, Fostering for Children with Disabilities Supervising Social Worker, Transitions Social Worker, Continuing Care Representatives, Health Short Breaks Representatives, Targeted Service Leader for the SILC Cluster and Short Breaks Co-ordinator.

The Panel agree the exact level and type of support to be provided and if a Specialist Short Break is appropriate. Once the panel has made its decision, a letter is sent to the family with details of the level and type of support that has been agreed and the rationale behind the decision. This is to ensure an open and transparent process.

Decisions made by the panel regarding the services and funding to be provided will be reviewed at least once a year to determine if the package still meets the identified needs and outcomes of the child. It also recognises that children may move between levels of service at different stages in their life or when circumstances change. An assessment can be carried out to establish if the level or type of support needs to be changed. This assessment can be completed by the Lead Professional involved with the family.

Children and Young People provided with a Specialist Short Break will be supported by either a Child in Need Plan.

9. Who will be assessed by an Occupational Therapist?

The Occupational Therapy Service sits within the CHAD service and provides assessment of disabled children/young people's homes for adaptations and the provision of equipment. The Occupational Therapist also ensures that any buildings we use to provide Specialist Short Breaks are accessible to all children with disabilities and young people. Not all children will require an assessment by an Occupational Therapist as part of a Child and Family Assessment. Equally, you do not need a Social Worker to access this service. When there is a Social Worker carrying out the assessment, if necessary they can make a referral to the Occupational Therapy Service. Parents are still able to make a self-referral to the Occupational Therapy service by contacting the Duty and Advice Team on 0113 222 4403.

10. What is a Personal Budget including Direct Payments?

Personalised Budgets, including Direct Payments are available to children and young people who have more complex needs and have had an assessment to help meet their needs. Personalised Budgets, including Direct Payments are a way to give families more control over the services they access. Children's Services allocate a sum of money – a budget – to be used to meet those needs. This budget will become personalised to that child.

Decisions regarding Personal Budgets/Direct Payments are made via the RADAR panel and are based on assessed need either as a result of a Child and Family Assessment undertaken by a Social Worker or an Early Help Assessment undertaken by a Lead Professional. The assessing professional will present their recommendation to the RADAR Panel for approval.

Knowing how much their budget is and being able to make decisions about how it is spent will give young people and/or their families more control over the services they receive. This figure is not means-tested and is based upon assessed need. 

Families with high level needs may choose to receive their Personalised Budget as a Direct Payment which can pay for services or support to best meet the needs of their child. These needs (or outcomes) should be identified in a Social Work Child and Family Assessment or an Early Help Assessment undertaken by a Lead Professional. They will also form part of an Education, Health and Care Plan if the child has one.

Leeds Centre for Integrated Living (Leeds CIL) are the organisation who are commissioned by Leeds City Council to support, assist and advise parent/carers on the recruitment and employment of staff under the arrangements of Direct Payments. They can be contacted on: 0113 231 1125.

Details of all Short Breaks can be found in the accompanying Short Breaks and Fun Activities Directory.

11. What happens if a child/young person is assessed and is not eligible for Specialist Short Breaks?

Children/young people and their families who, despite their disability, are assessed as not being eligible for Specialist Short Breaks will be signposted to Universal and Targeted Short Breaks, these are services that a family can self-refer to. There are a variety of Universal and Targeted Short Breaks available to children with SEND, and most children's needs can be met within these services. We recognise that needs can change throughout a child's life and should needs or circumstances change then it may be appropriate for a new assessment to take place. A new assessment will take place at key transitional times in childhood, for example at around 16 years old in preparation for adulthood or at times when there is a significant change in children's needs.

12. Is transport provided to and from Short Breaks services?

Transport is ordinarily not provided for any Short Break services. However, in exceptional circumstances and following an assessment of need (this could be through a child and family assessment, early help assessment or reviewed by individual short break providers) some assistance may be offered.

13. What happens when a child turns 18 and transitions into adult services?

We want transition from children's to adult's services to be a seamless and well coordinated experience for young people and their families. Currently when young people turn 17 years old and are accessing a Specialist Short Breaks service we begin the process of planning their transition into adult services. Children are referred to the Transitions Team who will carry out their own Needs Led Assessment to establish if the young person meets the criteria for continued support and access to specialist adult services.

If you require more information or If you feel your child requires the assistance of the Transitions Team, please discuss with your child's Lead Professional or refer through the contact centre on 0113 222 0044.

For those children who are not accessing a Specialist Short Break but may be accessing Universal or Targeted Short Breaks, or where it is felt that a specialist service will be required after a young person's 18^th birthday a referral can be made to Adult Social Care by contacting the contact centre on 0113 222 4401.

14. How does Leeds City Council review its Short Breaks services?

This statement continues to be informed by consultation and feedback from disabled children and young people, their families and professionals from Social Care, Health, Education and the voluntary sector.

We recognise the importance of Short Breaks Services for children and young people with SEND and their families. By working closely with providers, partners and families we have continued to develop our Short Breaks offer in recent years. We recognise that increasing demand on services and changing needs mean that it is important that we regularly review the services we commission and deliver. This is to ensure they still meet the needs of children and families and make best use of resources.

We have undertaken an extensive review of our Short Breaks services, which has involved consultation with parents, children and young people and providers of services. This review has informed our recommissioning of targeted short breaks services due to start in April 2020 and aims to respond to key issues highlighted to us by families which includes; the amount of weekend and holiday provision available and the uneven geographical spread of services. From April 2020, contracts will be in place for delivery of weekend and residential short breaks services for children and young people with significant additional needs. Two year grants will be in place for delivery of a range of other targeted services including after school provision, weekend groups and school holiday clubs in each wedge of the city.

Longer term arrangements should afford providers and families more stability to plan whilst ensuring services are flexible to respond to changing need. However we will continue to monitor all services, internally and externally delivered, to ensure our Short Breaks offer is good quality and meets the needs of children, young people and families.

In conjunction with a range of stakeholders, the Children and Families Commissioning Team will continue to regularly monitor services to ensure that all of the Short Breaks we provide make a positive difference to our young people and their families. Our commissioned services are asked to request regular feedback from users, so that we can learn from parents and young people what has worked best for them. We aim to ensure our Short Breaks services focus on improving the life chances of disabled children and their families through continuing to develop our strategy with parents and young people.

15. How can families give their feedback about Short Breaks and get involved in developing the Leeds Short Breaks offer?

To give feedback and to get involved with developing shaping the services on the Short Breaks offer in Leeds, you can email the Leeds Local Offer at llo@leeds.gov.uk.

The Voice, Influence and Change Team are based within the Children and Families directorate. We support the vision for a more child friendly Leeds by working to ensure that all children, young people, parents and carers have their voices heard and can influence decisions and services that affect their lives. You can contact the team on: vic@leeds.gov.uk

16. What to do if things do not go to plan

If you are trying to access Short Breaks and things are not going to plan or you have any concerns we recommend you talk to the organisation providing the Short Break or activity first. If this does not help there are a number of steps that can be taken.

If the service is a Universal Short Break provider you can talk to Scope Activities for All who may be able to give you advice. You can contact the team on Leeds@scope.co.uk or 0113 357 0038.

If you have an allocated Lead Professional or Social Worker you can raise any concerns about Short Breaks services with them. They will be able to talk to the service or provider in question or seek advice on your behalf. If this does not help and the service is provided or commissioned by Leeds City Council, you can make a complaint by contacting the Leeds City Council Customer Relations Team.

If you are unhappy with a decision made by the RADAR panel in relation to accessing a Specialist Short Break you can email RADAR@leeds.gov.uk detailing what you disagree with and provide additional information The request will be re-listed for the next available Panel and the Professional will be invited to attend and discuss the points disagreed with and provide additional information to support the application.

If after your Social Worker or Lead Professional has presented the request to panel with additional information you are still not happy with the outcome, you can make a complaint by contacting the Leeds City Council Customer Relations Team.

The contact details for Customer Relations are:

• In writing: The Complaints Manager, Children's Services, Merrion House, 110 Merrion Centre, Leeds, LS2 8DT
  
• By Email: children@leeds.gov.uk
• By Phone: 0113 395 0310 (Mini-com: 0113 247 5963)

17. Where can more information be found?

Leeds Early Help - Right conversation, right people, right time

An Early Help Assessment can be an assessment that is currently used by a single agency. The Early Help Assessment should be a tool in its own right and not simply a referral mechanism. However the same information can support a contact to social work services in relation to a child in need or child in need of protection.

https://www.leedsscp.org.uk/Practitioners/Early-help/Early-Help-Assessments

EPIC Leeds

EPIC Leeds is a parent, carer and family participation forum in Leeds which aims to empower parents/ carers and families to work in partnership with services, organisations and professionals. They can be contacted on 07889 728403 or epicleeds@gmail.com.

http://www.epicleeds.org.uk/

The Equality Act 2010

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/equality-act-2010-guidance

The Breaks for Carers of Disabled Children Regulations

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/short-breaks-for-carers-of-disabled-children

Children and Families Act 2014

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2014/6/contents/enacted

Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs)

In Leeds, the SENSAP (Special Educational Needs Statutory Assessment and Provision) team are responsible for overseeing all Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) and assessments, as well as any remaining Statements of Special Educational Needs.

https://www.leeds.gov.uk/schools-and-education/support-for-pupils-with-send/support-with-learning/education-health-and-care-needs-assessments-and-plans

Leeds Local Offer

The Leeds Local Offer page can help you find services and information for families, children and young people with SEND.

https://leedslocaloffer.org.uk/

SEND Code of Practice

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25

Children Act 1989

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1989/41/contents

Scope Activities for All

Scope may be able to help your child access services. Scope Activities for All works with activity providers helping them become more inclusive. They can be contacted on 0113 357 0038 or leeds@scope.org.uk

https://www.scope.org.uk/

Family Information Service

The Family Information Service offers information on childcare, family services and more. They can be contacted by telephone, email or you can find useful information on their website. They can be contacted on 0113 378 9700 or family.info@leeds.gov.uk

https://familyinformation.leeds.gov.uk

LCC Short Breaks Offer

Short Breaks and Fun Activities Directory with information on the different Short Breaks available in Leeds, plus the single application form which is one form that you can fill in to access any of the targeted services commissioned by Leeds City Council.

You can also email the Short Breaks Co-ordinator: short.breaks.coordinator@leeds.gov.uk

Short Break and Fun Activities Directory and Targeted Short Break Single Referral Form

https://www.leeds.gov.uk/schools-and-education/support-for-pupils-with-send/short-breaks-for-disabled-children

West Yorkshire CANN (West Yorkshire Children with Additional Needs Network)

http://westyorkshirecann.org/

Children's Social Care

If you feel that your child requires an assessment of need you can contact the Duty and Advice Team on 0113 222 4403.

Leeds Centre for Integrated Living (Leeds CIL)

Leeds Centre for Integrated Living (Leeds CIL) are the organisation who are commissioned by Leeds City Council to support, assist and advise parent/carers on the recruitment and employment of staff under the arrangements of Direct Payments. They can be contacted on: 0113 231 1125.

https://www.leedscil.org.uk

Adult Social Care

If you have a child over the age of 18 and feel that they require an assessment, Adult Social Care can be contacted on 0113 222 4401

Voice, Influence and Change Team

You can get in touch with the Voice, Influence and Change team to have your say in the services that are provided and commissioned by Leeds City Council by emailing vic@leeds.gov.uk

Customer Relations

If you are trying to access Short Breaks and things haven't gone to plan, you can contact customer relations: Complaints@leeds.gov.uk

The Complaints Manager, Children's Services, Merrion House, 110 Merrion Centre, Leeds, LS2 8DT - Tel: 0113 2224405 (Mini-com: 0113 2475963)

Young Carers

Provides specialist information, advice and support for Young Carers, families and practitioners to improve the wellbeing of Young Carers in Leeds.

www.leedsyoungcarers.org.uk