The Integrated Commissioning Board (ICB) in Suffolk commission bespoke short break support for children and young people with a diagnosis of a learning disability and/or autism with a co-existing significant mental health need. These short breaks are designed to avoid an admission into hospital and help children or young person stay with their parents and carers in their community.
ICB Funded Short Breaks are community-based packages of care, offering the right support in the right place – usually their home and community. It is bespoke risk managed care and supplements the care package which is already in place. Short Breaks can provide respite for families and offer the opportunity for services already involved with the child or young person and their family a more intensive period of support to assess and to understand the child or young person’s needs and adapt their current care plan if necessary. Short Breaks can be flexible and offer an opportunity for personalised care.
The ICB Short Breaks can offer creative and person-centred care, working alongside children and young people to understand their wishes and expectations. Providers can support sensory sensitive and sensory soothing needs as part of the planned Short Break. Staff have the skills and training to meet the needs of the young person, offering consistency and opportunity to build relationships with the child or young people who visit. The child or young person’s voice is central and in their preferred means of communication. Reasonable adjustments are made in Short Breaks to accommodate the needs of the child or young person.
Children and young people will be supported to access transport if this is a barrier.
Referrals into the NHS Short Break service are made by a clinical professional working with the family to the ICB.