How to access a Short Break

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Service Navigator – Overview

The ‘navigator’ will operate as part of the Bi-Borough Short Breaks Service. A single point of contact for all referrals in the Disabled Children and Young People’s service.

Families with children between the age of 0 and 18 may be entitled to support via Short Breaks if they are affected in their everyday living by one or more of the following:

  • Severe physical, learning disability or sensory impairment, which is substantial and  has a negative effect on their ability to do normal daily activities.

  • Profound multiple disability

  • Children with complex physical health needs and those with life-limiting where these severely impact the functioning of the child.

  • Children with autism who also meets one of the above criteria

The majority of support provided by the Disabled Children’s Service is directed to children of school age, however pre-school referrals will be considered on a case by case, in consultation with the relevant multi-agency professionals and where there is assessed significant developmental delay as set out in the criteria above. Those disabled children and young people who do not meet the above criteria, may be entitled to access other services through the Local Offer’ Early Help or Locality Teams. 


Transport support information 

Find out more about 'transport support' here and about our 'transport criteria' here.


Referral forms (to be completed by a professional)

0-5 Early Intervention Team form

6-18 Bi-borough Short Breaks form


Alternatively, you can also contact the Family Navigator directly:

Name: Samantha McBride

Telephone: 020 7361 2048

Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

Information for Parents and Carers:

What is a Early Health Notification?

When a health care professional identifies that a child or young person, may have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) they are required by law to tell the local authority. This is called a Early Health Notification.

The purpose of this is to ensure that the local authority knows about children with SEND who live in their area, so they can help the family access any appropriate support and services that may be helpful to them.


The Family Navigator

In the Bi-Borough (Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster), a service called the Family Navigator has been set up specifically to manage these notifications from health colleagues. The service has been designed to help you get any information and support you may want in relation to your child’s needs.


Is my information safe?

Health care professionals will share any information about you and your child with the local authority in strict accordance with current data protection rules. The Local Authority will make sure you understand your rights about how your data is used and will ask for your permission to share your information with anyone else.

If you do not want your information to be shared with anyone else, the local authority will take no further action. They may offer information about other organisations and services that might be able to help, if that would be useful to you.

Page last reviewed: 24/03/2024

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