At the end of 2022 we shared information about the upcoming recommissioning of Shropshire assessed Short Breaks services, including overnight Short Breaks at Bradbury House and the community-based offer provided by ‘Action for Children’.  Re-commissioning happens when the contract period comes to an end and a new contract needs to be agreed.  It is important that the community who uses a service has opportunities to inform and shape what the service looks like at this point.  A new service specification will be developed, and possible providers will be invited to make an application to deliver the service.

Since the work on the recommissioning of assessed Shropshire Short Break services was started Shropshire Council has developed a new approach to the commissioning process. As a result of this there has been some changes to the original timescale and scope for the Short Break recommissioning.  It has now been agreed that the process will look at the full Short Break offer, including the targeted (non-assessed) Short Break offer known as ‘All In’.

To enable this to happen it has been agreed that the 3 contracts which currently form the Shropshire Short Break offer will be aligned so that they all now finish on the 31 March 2025.  This will allow the recommissioning to look at the full Short Break Offer, how the different levels of service interact and how benefits for families can be maximised. 

Shropshire Council want to assure parent carers that we are fully committed to continuing to provide an effective Short Break offer and we are continuing to work with existing providers in order to maximise the current offer within the existing funding.

PACC (Parent and Carers Council – Shropshire) representatives are part of the Short Breaks re-commissioning group and will continue to ensure that the experiences and knowledge of SEND families informs this process. 

From October 2024 it is intended that activity will start to transition to any new service which might be in place from April 2025.

The council is committed to engaging with SEND families to ensure that all services they receive, reflects the voices of children and young people with SEND and their families. Shropshire Short Breaks services is one of many services that they are currently reviewing and which they’ll be asking SEND families for their views to ensure they continue to meet their needs.

If you have any questions, please do let either the council or PACC know, and we will continue to share further information as we receive it.

Questions to the council can be emailed to sendshortbreaks@shropshire.gov.uk.