DISABLED children and young people in Devon will have access to more ‘Short Breaks’ activities under plans to expand support across the county.

Devon County Council is developing a new network of quality-assured providers to give families a wider choice of activities closer to home.

The aim is to help children and young people with disabilities build confidence, develop independence and make new friends, while giving parents and carers a break from their caring responsibilities.

Short Breaks can include sports, music, creative arts, drama, community groups, holiday clubs and outdoor activities, with support tailored to each child's needs.

Around 1,500 children and young people currently use the service in Devon.

The improvements follow the adoption of Devon's Short Breaks Strategy 2026–2030 in March.

Since then, the council has worked with children and young people, parent carers and local providers to shape services around what families say they need most.

The strategy places a greater emphasis on inclusive, community-based activities that allow disabled children to take part alongside their peers.

One parent described the impact after their child attended a SEND Basecamp at Pixie's Holt on Dartmoor during half-term, followed by a family day at Haven Banks in Exeter.

‘The new Short Breaks offers have been life changing’, they said.

‘I haven't successfully left my child for over four years, which we managed at Pixie's Holt this half term. I went for cake in quiet’.

The council says it now wants to build a stronger network of providers so families across Devon can access high-quality activities, regardless of where they live.

Councillor Richard Jeffries, Cabinet Member for Children's Services Social Care, said the investment would help create more opportunities for disabled children and young people.

‘Our Short Breaks offer is about offering children and young people the opportunity to make positive memories that can last a lifetime’, he said.

‘This work will mean children with disabilities in Devon get more access to high-quality support regardless of where they live.

‘We want to ensure the £5.5 million we spend every year through the Short Breaks programme supports a strong, sustainable network of local, quality-assured providers covering a wider range of activities’.

The council said the new provider network would work alongside, rather than replace, the Devon Wallet, which families use to manage personalised Short Breaks and support plans for assessed social care needs.

Direct payments will continue to be available where flexibility is needed, particularly for children and young people with more complex needs.

Councillor Denise Bickley, Cabinet Member for Children's Services SEND, said partnership working would play an important role in developing the service.

‘Families of children with disabilities want their kids to enjoy high-quality activities both in the school holidays and when a short break is needed’, she said.

‘We can do more by working in partnership with providers’.

She pointed to the Outdoor Explorers Club, a free resource developed with organisations, children and young people with SEND and their families to encourage outdoor activities.

Available through libraries across Devon, it is one example of the type of inclusive partnership the council hopes to expand as it continues to deliver its Short Breaks Strategy over the next four years.