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National Children's Bureau
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Short breaks - a legal duty
18 March 2008
Government acts to ensure short breaks lose 'Cinderella status'
EDCM is celebrating today (18 March) as the House of Lords last night amended the Children and Young Persons Bill to create a new duty on local authorities to help parents caring for disabled children by giving them breaks from their caring responsibilities.
The amendment was proposed jointly by government Minister Lord Adonis and Mencap President Lord Rix, who has campaigned for many years to get this legal change.
Short breaks provide an essential opportunity for carers to recharge their batteries, and give disabled children and young people additional opportunities to access positive activities independently of their families.
EDCM and its supporters have been campaigning for the last 18 months to create a stronger legal framework to give families a right to breaks. EDCM would like to say a huge 'thank you' to Lord Rix and all our supporters, both across the country and within Paliament, who have campaigned for stronger laws on short breaks over the years.
In the debate, Children, Schools and Families Minister Lord Adonis said:
'The new duty will ensure that short break services lose their Cinderella status and become an essential local authority service, thereby reflecting the importance attached to them by the families of disabled children...Short breaks should not be used just as crisis intervention but should help carers to maintain and improve the quality of care they want to, and can, provide.'
The Minister continued:
'We estimate that by 2010-11, local government expenditure on short break provision in England will have doubled and in some areas will have increased by up to five times. This major investment would combine with the proposed new duty to create a significant force for change and would be coupled to high expectations for service transformation...I see this as a decisive moment in improving services for this important group in our society.'
Christine Lenehan, Director of the Council for Disabled Children and Board Member of EDCM, said:
'This new duty is a historic step for families with disabled children. For the first time, government is putting the support our families desperately need on a firm legal basis. EDCM and our supporters, in Parliament and outside, have campaigned hard to get this issue up the agenda and Ministers must get the credit for listening and responding.'
Lord Rix said:
"Where families with disabled children have full time caring responsibilities, short breaks are essential. Short break services should therefore be on a statutory footing to reflect their vital importance."
While the new duty is very welcome, EDCM will continue to call for government to go further and make short breaks available as a clear right to families with the greatest need.
More from EDCM
Find out about EDCM's campaigning on a right to breaks
Find out more about the Children and Young Persons Bill
News story: EDCM supports calls for independent advocacy
