Social care update

Short Breaks Holiday Activity programme

PaCC recognise that Brighton & Hove City Council (BHCC) commissioners continue to look at developing the Short Breaks Activity programme that started in the Spring term of 2024. This provision was created in direct response to Extratime and Barnardos closing in Brighton & Hove. BHCC’s aims are to develop a programme that meets the needs of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).  

PaCC and many families in the city are supportive of the intentions of this local authority provision. 

In 2024 and at the start of 2025 parent carers continue to feedback a very high level of concern around the lack of availability of specialist sessions for children and young people who have high support needs. 

• Children and young people do not have the same opportunities to socialise or experience different activities as their non-disabled peers 

• Parent carers are unable to have a proper rest from caring 

• Parent carers are unable to work 

PaCC recognises that BHCC have been looking at ways to increase the number of sessions within the £130k budget for 2024/25. The SEND community have been told by the council that this budget currently remains static for 2025/26.  

BHCC commissioners have been looking to increase the number of sessions available to families from Easter 2025 onwards; at the January 2025 parent carer Short Breaks forum, commissioners shared three potential plans to increase places, with the aim to build the availability of sessions to three per week for children and young people where plans allow.  

Read BHCC’s Short Breaks summary here.

PaCC has written a position statement on BHCCs aims to increase sessions via the three plans mentioned above, you can read PaCCs position statement here.

The main concerns in the position statement are – 

• Parent carers who attended the meeting have said that the information/data presented on each plan was confusing and not clear enough for them to give informed feedback
• Parent carers do not want to be pitched against each other in choosing a plan that will exclude some families
• Plans based on the current Short Breaks budget are insufficient to meet eligible need and provide an inequitable offer to SEND families
• PaCC acknowledge the difficulties commissioners face to increase the number of sessions and meet Statutory Duty for eligible children and young people within the static £130k budget
• PaCC flag that BHCCs suggestion of charging parent carers for holiday activities will not create the increase needed

BHCC has responded to PaCC’s Position Statement, you can read BHCC’s response here.

The key points in the council’s statement are:

• BHCC are at the early stages of the review and consultation and as part of our commitment to parent carers to review the short break service we have been exploring a suggestion that families may be willing to pay more for the short break service which would in turn increase the availability of places.  

• To gain maximum feedback a survey has been shared with parent carers to gain the views of the wider community than just those attending the monthly meetings.  

• BHCC recognise the value of holiday respite to parent carers, and we are committed to ensuring that as many children and young people can benefit from the service.

PaCC have been working closely with the campaign group Send Us A Break. Both PaCC and Send Us a Break have been talking to councillors about their shared concerns re the lack of availability of holiday activities for the community.  

PaCC raised this issue at the recent BHCC 2025/26 Budget Scrutiny meeting where councillors (Cllr) and directors from BHCC discussed the proposed council budget. PaCC was pleased that Councillor Jacob Taylor, Finance Lead for BHCC acknowledged the work that PaCC has undertaken to raise the significant pressures on the Short Breaks budget, Cllr Taylor responded to PaCCs challenge at this public meeting saying

“the parent carer messages were coming through loud and clear. It’s obviously a vitally important area. We need to make sure that we’re meeting our statutory duties. If we need to think about and consider more funding in following years, or indeed in-year, then the council will do that.”

Drove Road issues

Families with children and young people having overnight respite at Drove Road were significantly impacted by the citywide decision to implement an overtime ban for all council staff for financial reasons.  

• PaCC was quick to write to senior leads that whilst acknowledging BHCCs very difficult financial position, that an overtime ban must not include frontline staff providing overnight respite for children and young people at Drove Road, saying that BHCC have a statutory duty to provide overnight respite.  

• BHCC made a quick u turn on this decision and respite was reinstated, concerningly the overtime ban was reinstated and families again had respite sessions cancelled.  

• PaCC facilitated a meeting with Cllr Emma Daniel and Social Care leads in the city, where parent carers made a very strong case asking why these decisions were made and who was accountable. BHCC have apologised for the disruption, however it is evident that the community have lost confidence in BHCCs decisions.  

• PaCC and parent carers reminded councillors and Senior Leads of the aims of BHCCs review of Drove Road and Tudor House which was to increase overnight respite. PaCC and parent carers also talked about the Freedom Training and Consultancy Independent report commissioned by BHCC, which stated clearly how an increase on overnight sessions can happen. 

• Issues around overtime have been resolved, but cancellations remain a problem due to staff sickness and staff shortages. 

BHCC Budget Proposal regarding the stand alone Drove Road flat

In the section on services for children with disabilities (residential, respite and short breaks area), the council proposes to “generate income and improve short break offer through external use of vacated flats at Drove Road. The proposal states that BHCC will offer the use of the vacant flat at Drove Road residential respite provision to East and West Sussex County Councils to generate income of £225k.

PaCC has asked BHCC to communicate more clearly with the community on this proposal. PaCC requested that BHCC include in these communications that the council will consider the use of this flat as emergency accommodation for Brighton & Hove children and young people. Read BHCC’s response to our request here. 

PaCC will continue to work hard in these areas to represent the parent carer voice and we will share updates on our website and our Facebook page.