Disabled children, young people and their families across Devon are benefiting from improvements to the county council’s Short Breaks offer, with work now underway to create an even broader range of support through a new county-wide quality assured provider offer.
Short Breaks help disabled children and young people develop independence, build friendships and gain confidence while giving parents and carers valuable respite from their caring responsibilities. Support can include sports, music, creative sessions, drama, community groups, holiday programmes and other experiences tailored to individual needs.
Since agreeing Devon’s Short Breaks Strategy in March 2026, the council has worked with children, young people, parent carers and providers to shape services around what matters most to families. This has included a greater focus on inclusive, community-based provision and helping children and young people take part in everyday experiences alongside their peers.
One parent shared their feedback after their child attended both a SEND basecamp at Pixie’s Holt on Dartmoor during a half-term and a family day at Haven Banks in Exeter.
“The new short breaks offers have been life changing. I haven’t successfully left my child for over four years, which we managed at Pixie’s Holt this half term. I went for cake in quiet!”
Around 1,500 children and young people currently access Short Breaks support in Devon. The council is now developing a more diverse offer, with quality assured providers available more consistently across the county.
Councillor Richard Jeffries, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services Social Care, said:
“Our Short Breaks offer is about offering children and young people the opportunity to make positive memories that can last a lifetime. This work will mean children with disabilities in Devon get more access to high quality support regardless of where they live.
“We want to ensure the £5.5 million we spend every year through the Short Breaks programme supports a strong, sustainable network of local, quality-assured providers covering a wider range of activities.”
Importantly, the new short breaks offer is designed to complement, not replace, the Devon Wallet. The wallet is the online platform families and the council use to support personalised short breaks and support plans to support assessed social care needs.
This blended approach will continue, ensuring direct payments are still available where flexibility is essential, particularly for children and young people with more complex needs.
Councillor Denise Bickley, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services SEND, said:
“Families of children with disabilities want their kids to enjoy high quality activities both in the school holidays and when a short break is needed. We can do more by working in partnership with providers.
“Several organisations came together, along with children and young people with SEND and their families to design the Outdoor Explorers Club. That’s a free resource for children, young people, and families who are interested in getting outdoors and into nature. It’s available from libraries across the county. I’d love to see more providers, like district councils, drawing on the partnership we’re developing to co-produce more inclusive activities.”
These improvements are part of delivering Devon’s Short Breaks Strategy 2026–2030, which sets out a vision for a graduated, inclusive offer focused on independence, life skills and community involvement.
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