We asked, you said, we did

We Asked

We consulted families in receipt of a short breaks allocation on the proposed change to the way short breaks are paid for. This change entailed offering all eligible families pre-paid cards to purchase short breaks for their children and ending access to commissioned services through an hourly allowance.

You Said

In consulting, we sought to understand parents and families’ thoughts and concerns on the proposal. The consultation consisted of a questionnaire and a number of focus groups. total of 139 questionnaires were completed. All responses were from parent carers. Additionally, two focus groups were held, with parent carers and providers. These had a total attendance of 17 parent carers.

Families were also invited to share their thoughts directly through contacting Family Services. Key findings from the questionnaire included:

· 41% of respondents agreed with the proposal

· 31% of respondents disagreed with the proposal

· 28% of respondents stated that they were either unsure, or neither agreed nor disagreed

Questions and concerns were also raised regarding the impact that the change would have on the number of hours that families could access via a financial allocation on a pre-paid card. The full consultation report, detailing the findings can be found here.

We Did

The above findings informed the considerations and mitigations within the report presented to Cabinet and supported in the decision made.

On 18th November 2024, Cabinet made the decision that from 1 April 2025, all families eligible for short breaks will be offered an allocation via a pre-paid card. The Cabinet decision was made on the basis of this being the most equitable option for our families, and on support being made available to families through the change.

We will no longer be offering 90 hours/ 15 days with approved providers. This means that the hour-based allowance system with approved providers will no longer be available. Support will be made available to any families who require it, throughout the process of transitioning to pre-paid cards.