Further consultation on the draft Short Breaks Strategy 2026-31

Following the consultation which ran from 10 March to 30 April 2026, we have updated our draft Short Breaks Strategy 2026-31.

The Strategy now explains more about how we will deliver the aims, involve families, share information about eligibility and assessment and check progress over the next five years. We have produced a 'You said, we did' report which explains all the changes that have been made. Some of the key changes are:

  • Clearer, more accessible information about Short Breaks, eligibility, assessment routes, service options and where families can find support. See key point 1 on page 1 of the ‘You said, we did’ report.
  • Stronger safeguards for children and young people with complex needs, including clearer provider information on staffing, training, personal care, communication, sensory, medical, behaviour and safeguarding support. See key point 2 on page 2 of the ‘You said, we did’ report.
  • Clearer information on overnight Short Breaks and future service changes, including how reviews, family feedback and any changes will be managed. See key point 3 on page 3 of the ‘You said, we did’ report.

We would now like to hear your feedback on the:

The strategy

The Short Breaks Strategy 2026-2031 sets out our approach to meet the statutory responsibility to provide secure, safe, and appropriate Short Breaks for disabled children and young people, as well as providing parents and carers with the opportunity to have a break from caring to pursue other activities.

Access to Short Breaks should be available to disabled children and young people who are aged between 0-18, who meet eligibility criteria and who live within the boundaries of Kent County Council.

Short Breaks have two key aims:

  • To give parents or carers of disabled children or young people a break from their caring responsibilities.
  • To enable eligible disabled children and young people to have social opportunities and join in with safe, fun, and interesting activities, whilst developing autonomy and independence as they grow.

In the development of this strategy, we have spoken in-depth with families, Short Break service providers, Social Care practitioners and Health partners to ensure we captured views, ideas and lived experiences. We connected with parents and carers, disabled children and young people in a variety of ways such as surveys, interviews, group work and workshops.

We have listened, heard and actioned the views captured to create a shared vision and seven key objectives of how we propose Short Breaks will develop over the next five years. We want to build on current successes, improve opportunities and ensure we are providing the right Short Breaks, at the right time, in the right place, and for the right groups of children and young people.

Proposed change to the allocation of Overnight Short Breaks

We are also consulting on a proposal to change how overnight Short Breaks are allocated in KCC’s in-house short break units. At the moment, eligible children using these units usually receive a standard offer of 24 nights a year. The proposal is to move to a needs-led approach, where the number of nights is based on the child’s assessed needs and family circumstances.

The aim is to make overnight Short Breaks fairer, more transparent and more responsive to individual needs. We are asking for views on how reviews should work, how families should be involved, how changes should be communicated, and what safeguards are needed around safety, quality, staffing, waiting times and family experience.

Proposal to remove the Max Card offer

The Max Card is a discount card for families of disabled children and young people, which can help reduce the cost of days out and activities. Max Cards have been offered in Kent since October 2016. The number of requests for the card has been falling.

The proposal is to remove the Max Card offer and instead give families clearer information about other discounts and concessions that may be available. This could include direct venue discounts, disability-related concessions, carer offers and the Carer’s Card. We are asking for views on this change, including any impact on families who currently use or value the Max Card.

Have your say

Please read the updated draft Strategy and the consultation documents for Overnight Short Breaks and the Max Card (in the Documents section on this page) before completing the online questionnaire to tell us your views. Alternatively, you can complete the Word version or Easy Read version and send it to us by email or post.

All feedback will be considered and a consultation report produced. It will be considered at the Children, Young People and Education Cabinet Committee (expected in March 2027).

Following the consultation which ran from 10 March to 30 April 2026, we have updated our draft Short Breaks Strategy 2026-31.

The Strategy now explains more about how we will deliver the aims, involve families, share information about eligibility and assessment and check progress over the next five years. We have produced a 'You said, we did' report which explains all the changes that have been made. Some of the key changes are:

  • Clearer, more accessible information about Short Breaks, eligibility, assessment routes, service options and where families can find support. See key point 1 on page 1 of the ‘You said, we did’ report.
  • Stronger safeguards for children and young people with complex needs, including clearer provider information on staffing, training, personal care, communication, sensory, medical, behaviour and safeguarding support. See key point 2 on page 2 of the ‘You said, we did’ report.
  • Clearer information on overnight Short Breaks and future service changes, including how reviews, family feedback and any changes will be managed. See key point 3 on page 3 of the ‘You said, we did’ report.

We would now like to hear your feedback on the:

The strategy

The Short Breaks Strategy 2026-2031 sets out our approach to meet the statutory responsibility to provide secure, safe, and appropriate Short Breaks for disabled children and young people, as well as providing parents and carers with the opportunity to have a break from caring to pursue other activities.

Access to Short Breaks should be available to disabled children and young people who are aged between 0-18, who meet eligibility criteria and who live within the boundaries of Kent County Council.

Short Breaks have two key aims:

  • To give parents or carers of disabled children or young people a break from their caring responsibilities.
  • To enable eligible disabled children and young people to have social opportunities and join in with safe, fun, and interesting activities, whilst developing autonomy and independence as they grow.

In the development of this strategy, we have spoken in-depth with families, Short Break service providers, Social Care practitioners and Health partners to ensure we captured views, ideas and lived experiences. We connected with parents and carers, disabled children and young people in a variety of ways such as surveys, interviews, group work and workshops.

We have listened, heard and actioned the views captured to create a shared vision and seven key objectives of how we propose Short Breaks will develop over the next five years. We want to build on current successes, improve opportunities and ensure we are providing the right Short Breaks, at the right time, in the right place, and for the right groups of children and young people.

Proposed change to the allocation of Overnight Short Breaks

We are also consulting on a proposal to change how overnight Short Breaks are allocated in KCC’s in-house short break units. At the moment, eligible children using these units usually receive a standard offer of 24 nights a year. The proposal is to move to a needs-led approach, where the number of nights is based on the child’s assessed needs and family circumstances.

The aim is to make overnight Short Breaks fairer, more transparent and more responsive to individual needs. We are asking for views on how reviews should work, how families should be involved, how changes should be communicated, and what safeguards are needed around safety, quality, staffing, waiting times and family experience.

Proposal to remove the Max Card offer

The Max Card is a discount card for families of disabled children and young people, which can help reduce the cost of days out and activities. Max Cards have been offered in Kent since October 2016. The number of requests for the card has been falling.

The proposal is to remove the Max Card offer and instead give families clearer information about other discounts and concessions that may be available. This could include direct venue discounts, disability-related concessions, carer offers and the Carer’s Card. We are asking for views on this change, including any impact on families who currently use or value the Max Card.

Have your say

Please read the updated draft Strategy and the consultation documents for Overnight Short Breaks and the Max Card (in the Documents section on this page) before completing the online questionnaire to tell us your views. Alternatively, you can complete the Word version or Easy Read version and send it to us by email or post.

All feedback will be considered and a consultation report produced. It will be considered at the Children, Young People and Education Cabinet Committee (expected in March 2027).

  • Have your say!

    We recommend you read the draft Strategy, Overnights Consultation Document and Max card Consultation Document before responding to this questionnaire.

    You can answer all or as many of the questions as you like. If you would rather not provide feedback on a section or question, just move on to the next one. Please remember to click through to the end of the questionnaire and submit your response.   

    Please do not include any personal information that could identify you or anyone else in any of your answers.

    In line with other local authorities and government departments, we ask people to register to take part in some activities on Let’s Talk Kent. We do this to give people the opportunity to choose to be kept informed and to protect the integrity of our consultations from individuals and groups who may attempt to unduly influence the outcomes of the consultation. It also means that when you submit your response you will receive a copy by email for your own records. 

    As with all our consultations a Word version of the questionnaire is available from the consultation webpage for people who would prefer not to complete the online version. 

    Privacy: Kent County Council (KCC) collects and processes personal information in order to provide a range of public services. KCC respects the privacy of individuals and endeavours to ensure personal information is collected fairly, lawfully, and in compliance with the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation and Data Protection Act 2018. Read the full Privacy Policy.


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