Short Breaks & Respite Care
Respite care and short breaks services for disabled children and their families in Kent. Gives parents and carers a break while children enjoy activities.
Short breaks can include activities, daytime support or overnight care. Ask the council about an assessment of your child’s and family’s needs and its short-break offer. Access, funding and the kind of support depend on the service and assessment; a disability does not guarantee every requested activity or overnight place.
Directory entries — check current service details before making plans
We Are Beams lists short-break activities for different age groups up to 25. Its published holiday-club offer serves Dartford, Gravesham and Sevenoaks and has membership, age and support-plan requirements. Different groups have different personal-care and one-to-one support criteria; check the chosen activity before booking.
Contact 01322 668501. Current availability, contributions and support requirements vary by activity.
The NHS home-based short-break team supports eligible preschool children in East Kent with complex health needs under its assessment and funding criteria. The service ends when the child starts school or reaches their fifth birthday. It is not an all-Kent, all-age respite booking service.
Check the current eligibility and referral arrangements with the team.
Dragon’s Retreat is We Are Beams’ overnight short-break children’s home in Hextable for children and young people up to 18. Its website welcomes referrals from social services and professionals involved with the child. Ask about assessment, funding, suitability and current availability.
Contact 01322 668501. A referral does not guarantee a funded place.
Mencap provides information about short breaks and children’s social care. This is an advice resource, not confirmation of a locally bookable Kent respite service. Ask the council about your child’s needs assessment, the available short-break offer and funding criteria.
Adult Care Act assessments and children’s social-care arrangements have different rules.
Space 2 Be Me works across west Kent, mainly Maidstone, Tonbridge and Malling, and Tunbridge Wells, with disabled children and young people from birth to 25 and their families. Its clubs cover different groups from ages 6 to 25, while other activities and family support have separate arrangements. Check membership, booking, support needs and fees for the chosen activity.
Current general contact: 01622 764566. A club listing does not guarantee suitable support or an available place.
How to access short breaks in Kent
- Via your social worker — If your child has a social worker, ask them about short breaks as part of your child's care plan.
- Via Kent Family Hub — Contact your local Family Hub to discuss support options. Find your nearest Family Hub on Kent.gov ↗
- Direct to providers — Many providers (like We Are Beams and Space 2 Be Me) accept self-referrals — you don't need a social worker.
- Direct Payments — You may be able to use Direct Payments to arrange your own short breaks. Speak to your social worker or KCC's Direct Payments team.
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