Northamptonshire Residential Short Breaks for Disabled Children and Young People

Description

Northamptonshire Children's Trust (NCT) and NHS Northamptonshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) are commissioning the provision of Residential Short Breaks for Disabled Children and Young People in Northamptonshire. The CCG and NCT that hold this contract are responsible for commissioning a range of health and social care services aimed at prevention of ill health and improvement of emotional health, mental health and physical health. Children, young people and their parents and carers have told us that they want services to be flexible, integrated and provided in places close to home and this is reflected in the service specification. Short breaks are part of a continuum of services which support children in need and their families. They include the provision of day, evening, overnight and weekend activities for the child or young person, and can take place in the child’s own home, the home of an approved carer, or in a residential or community setting. Short breaks for children with disabilities are now well recognised to be a vital service which help families with disabled children to lead ordinary lives. The Purchaser and the CCG have a vital role in ensuring that sufficient and appropriate short breaks are commissioned in their local area. Together NCT and the CCG provide residential short breaks for disabled children and young people with the most complex needs to help families stay together as a family unit. A short break should assist parents and carers of disabled children to continue to do so, or to do so more effectively, by giving them breaks from caring to ensure that family life can be sustained effectively. Northamptonshire Children's Trust is the lead commissioner for the service. The Light Touch Regime (LTR) applies to the services under this contract agreement, as per Public Contracts Regulations 2015.