Issue - meetings

Background:

This report provided details of the key findings and recommendations arising from a comprehensive review of short breaks, which had been requested by Medway Council and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group following closure of Preston Skreens. The report also provided details of the draft Short Break Policy for Disabled Children and Young People 2014/2019.

The draft Short Break Policy had been developed in response to the recommendations arising from the review, feedback from children, young people and parents and the recent legislative requirements stated in the Children and Families Act 2014. The Policy set out how Medway Council and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group (MCCG) would meet these requirements, and improve the quality and choice of services for families of disabled children in Medway within the available financial resources.

The Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee considered this report on 18 September 2014 and its comments were set out on paragraph 9 of the report. Director’s comments were included in paragraph 10 of the report in response to the comments made by the Committee.

A Diversity Impact Assessment had been carried out on the draft policy as set out in Appendix 2 to the report. This identified both the negative and positive impacts of the proposed policy changes and identified how any negative impacts might be mitigated and any positive impacts ensured through the delivery of the services which were the subject of the policy.

Reasons:

The approval of the Short Break Policy for Disabled Children and Young People in Medway 2014-2019 will ensure that short break services are better targeted at meeting those families who are most in need and ensuring greater equity of provision.