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Children’s Home-based Short Breaks Team

We offer short breaks to give respite to children with complex health needs and their families.

Contact us

0300 790 6105
kentchft.childrenshomebased@nhs.net

Short break sessions of up to three hours are delivered five days-a-week, from 9am to 5pm.

Who we are

We provide short breaks to pre-school aged children with a range of learning disabilities, complex health needs and their families in their own home, the local community or in a local hospital.

Our team consists of support workers with a range of experience as carers and nursery nurses.

We see children who have a

  • complex health need, for example seizures, artificial feeding Naso Gastric or gastrostomy
  • life-limiting or life-threatening illness, for example cancer, cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, Hunter’s syndrome or Wolf Hirschorn syndrome
  • physical disability or global developmental delay and an additional health need, for example severe cerebral palsy and epilepsy, Triomy 21 and artificial feeding
  • complex chronic condition, for example spina bifida, Retts syndrome, Hurschprung’s disease.

What we do

  • Work with families to make sure sessions are individualised and meet the needs of the child and their family.
  • Care for the medical, physical, social, intellectual and enhanced wellbeing needs of the children on our caseload.
  • Administer oxygen, stoma care, gastrostomy feeds, naso-gastric tube feeding.
  • Manage seizures.
  • Work with representatives from physiotherapy, speech and language therapy and occupational therapy to undertake portage programmes, speech and language exercises and physiotherapy programmes with children who need them.
  • Assist children with effective communication, for example using the picture exchange communication system of Makaton.
  • Carry out activities the child enjoys such as arts and crafts, sensory activities or trips to the park or indoor play centre.

How do I refer to this service?

To refer patients or your child, please complete the Home-based Short Breaks Service referral form. Please make sure you’ve read our referral criteria first.

Your comments

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February 2022
Hythe

The time in which the service is provided is long enough do to what I need to do. It's a huge help to my week, to my well being and to my own self to be able to get things done that's can prove difficult in the week.

January 2022
Dover

It gives us time with our other children and our daughter enjoys the 3 hours a week with Kerry.

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