Universal short breaks
Learn about short break services for all families of children with SEND which are available without an assessment.
Universal short breaks
The following organisations offer places to children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities without further assessment.
These are everyday community services or activities for everyone with a focus on widening this offer to include children and young people with SEND.
Ratios for this group include 1:5, 1:6, and 1:8.
These services suit children and young people who can manage in larger groups.
The Compass Card
The parent partnership service, run by Amaze, holds Brighton & Hove’s disability register (The Compass) for children and young people aged 0 to 25. The Compass disability register helps us to plan services across the city.
Registration is voluntary. Every child or young person registered will receive a free Compass Card. This is a leisure discount card which provides discounts and special offers for leisure activities across the city, such as:
- swimming
- cinema
- bowling
- soft play
- farms
- museums
- theatres and entertainment
To be eligible for a Compass Card, children and young people must:
- be under 25
- have a special educational need or disability that significantly affects their daily lives
Children and young people also need to be living in Brighton & Hove or going to school in Brighton & Hove.
In general children and young people on the Compass have at least one of the following:
- an Education, Health and Care Plan
- receive Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment
Find out how to get a Compass Card.
The Carer’s Card
A Carers' Card offers discounts on activities across the city to help you look after your own health and well-being.
If you're a parent carer of a child or young person with special or additional needs, you may be entitled to a Carers' Card. If your child has a Compass Card from Amaze and is under 25, you'll qualify automatically.
Parent carers need to provide the name, address, date of birth, email address and mobile phone number of all family members who are regular carers and who want to apply for a Carers’ Card.
This could include brothers and sisters with a caring role aged 8 to 25. They would be issued with a ‘Young Carers’ Card’.
Applicants must provide the:
- name and date of birth of the Compass Card holder
- number on the back of the Compass Card
- expiry date on the back of the Compass Card
HAF programme
In addition, children who receive benefit-related free school meals can access the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme which offers free activities in the Easter, Summer and Winter holidays. Find out more about HAF.
More information
Read more about our targeted short break services which do not require a social care assessment.
Read more about our specialist short break services which require a social care assessment.