Last updated:
3rd April 2024
Short Breaks and Early Help Team
Short Breaks and Early Help Team
The Short Breaks and Early Help Team supports children with disabilities and their families where they need more help than universal services can provide. They do this as early as possible to prevent the need for social work support services.
Services available
The Short Breaks and Early Help Team provides a range of services.
The team will do a needs assessment to help identify short break services that you and your family need.
Short Breaks
If the assessment shows you and your child qualify for short breaks, the team will:
- develop a Short Break Support Plan with you and your family
- review the Short Break Support Plan regularly to ensure it still meets your child and family’s needs
Early Help
If the assessment shows you and your child qualify for early help, the team will
- develop Short Break and Early Help Support Plans
- co-ordinate professionals involved in the plan via a Team around the Family (TAF) arrangement where appropriate
- review the Short Break and Early Help Support Plan as required to achieve the best outcomes
Who the service is for
This service is for:
- children aged up to 18 years assessed to have a substantial and long-term disability
- children who live in the Wokingham Borough
- children that require short breaks assessment or review
- families that need additional help as a result of their child’s disability to prevent escalation to social work support services
How to access the service
Referrals to access the service are made to the Duty Triage and Assessment Team (Front Door). There are 2 ways to access this service.
Parents and carers self-referral
You can refer yourself (self-referral) to the service by using the Short Break self-referral form.
To download the self-referral form, see how to get a short break
Referral from a professional
Professionals who wish to refer a family to the service should download and fill in a Multi-Agency Referral Form.
Find a short breaks service
Search the SEND Local Offer directory to find services that provide you and your family with a break from your caring responsibilities and unwind and take part in leisure or training activities.
Find short breaks services on the SEND Local Offer Directory
Contact the Short Breaks and Early Help Team
If you have any questions or need to talk to someone about short breaks services, contact the Short Breaks Co-ordinator.
Phone: 0118 974 6000
