Short Breaks Services

A short break can last between a few hours and several days.

It can take place:

• in your own home
• in a supported setting
• within the community

It provides families with a break from their caring role and time to spend with other family members or to have time to themselves. The Local Authority provides the following short breaks which are accessed through an assessment by Social Care.

For further information about Short Breaks and eligibility criteria for children and young people in Stockton-on-Tees, read the  Short Breaks Statement of Purpose (PDF) [888KB] .

A copy of the latest Hartburn Lodge Statement of Purpose can be requested from Hartburn Lodge by emailing hartburn.lodge@stockton.gov.uk or calling 01642 527994.

Apply for a Short Breaks Grant

Families that are caring full time for a disabled child or young person with Special Educational Needs (SEND) can sometimes struggle to get a break from their caring role. We provide a Short Breaks Grant to eligible families that we have co-produced with Stockton Parent Carer Forum. 

The grant is well established and continues to be very popular and benefits many young people and their families. In the last 6-month period, the grant helped lots of families in Stockton-on-Tees.

For the period 1 October 2023 to 31 March 2024, parents and carers of disabled children and young people aged 3 to17 will be able to apply for a grant of up to £400.  

The maximum amount has been reduced to £400 to enable more families to be able to access the grant.

A grant of up to £75 will be available for those families whose children and young people are already in receipt of other services provided by the Council.

The grant will open for applications on Tuesday 3 October at 10 am. The link to the online form will not be available before then.

If you feel you will need support to complete the form we advise you make arrangements with someone in advance of the launch.  This can be a family member of a professional who work with you and your family.  You can request support from a member of the Short Breaks Team by contacting Frances Selby on 01642 526745, however availability at the point of the launch of the grant cannot be guaranteed.

Parents or carers must ensure that all receipts or unspent money from any previous grants awarded are returned. Any new applications received where there are outstanding receipts or monies will not be processed. Please find attached the Grant Offer which explains the categories and amounts you can apply for.

It is essential that funding is secured prior to any activities or purchases made that you intend to use the grant for.

The grant offer has been co-produced with the Stockton Parent Carer Forum and you can contact them via telephone 07985 245668 or info@stocktonparentcarerforum.co.uk.

Visit the legislation.gov.uk website for further information about short breaks for carers of disabled children which can be found under The Breaks for Carers of Disabled Children Regulations 2011. 

We asked for all receipts to be submitted by 12 September, if you have not provided yours then please send them in now.

Failure to do so will affect future applications.  Remember Unused money needs to be returned on our secure payments page. 

Select 'other payments', then 'Short Breaks', 'Short Breaks Repayment' from the drop down menus. Failure to do so will impact on future applications.

If you want more information about Short Breaks read our  Short Breaks Statement of Purpose (PDF) [888KB] and the  Short Breaks Grant Offer (PDF) [373KB] . Please refer to the Short Breaks Grant Offer document which explains the categories and amounts you can apply for.

Keep an eye on our website for updates and sign up to Stockton Parent Carer Forum (SPCF) who co-produces the grant with Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council.