Targeted Short Breaks

At People First we believe every young person with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) deserves the chance to explore, play, and discover new experiences.

Our activities are designed to spark joy, build confidence, and create lasting memories, all in a safe and supportive environment. Whether it’s trying something new, making friends, or simply having a great time, our short breaks give children, young people, and their families space to relax, recharge, and thrive.

Sessions run in Workington, Whitehaven, Maryport and Carlisle for young people aged 14 - 18 years old with mild to moderate communication needs. We offer 3 different types of sessions:

Explorers On Track

This session is available in Workington and Whitehaven.

A full day activity using public transport to visit a neighbouring town. The sessions aim help build independence and confidence in using public transport followed by an afternoon of creating artwork or magazines to showcase what they have been up to during the session. Young people are able to take all of the resources home with them to aid them in the future.

Creative Communities

These sessions are available in Workington, Whitehaven, Maryport and Carlisle.

A full day activity exploring the local community and mapping out what services are available to hem. This involves a short walk followed by an afternoon of creativity.

Access All Areas

This session runs in Maryport.

A full day activity spent at the aquarium soaking up everything they have to offer. We will spend the day going to talks and feeds that are scheduled whilst coming up with ideas on what we can do to help other young people with a learning disability or autistic people to prepare for their trip. We can also make use of their mini gold course whilst we are there.

How and when can I register?

If you think your child or young person is eligible for the service, you can register for the service during the Cumberland Council registration windows. These windows open in October for the following year.

If families miss this window, another window will be available in late Spring for the latter half of the year. This means families will be entitled to 38 hours instead of the 76, for the second half of the year up until 31 January.

Families can book sessions via a booking link that will be provided following registration. This will be provided via email once we have confirmed your child/young person’s eligibility for the service. Activities will be listed on the platform for parents to choose from, including the time and hours allocated for the session.

How do I register my child for Short Break Activities?

If you would like to speak to someone about short breaks, please call: 0300 3038 165 or email [email protected]

Frequently Asked Questions

Take a look at the top asked questions...

These are provided by organisations in the local area. They are designed to meet the needs of children and young people with disabilities. This gives parents and carers the opportunity to take a short break from caring. The activities run during the day and do not run overnight and are often held at weekends or during school holidays.

Our targeted short break service gives children and young people access to 76 hours of free activities across the year. Activities offered can include:

visits and trips
sports sessions
crafts
baking
games
educational activities

The HAF programme is funded by the Department for Education. It is aimed at supporting children in receipt of benefits-related free school meals. Up to 15% of the funding can be used to support children with other vulnerabilities. The council has been able to commission many local youth service providers to offer sessions to eligible children and young people during main school holiday periods. This activity is unrelated to SEND services.

Your child or young person must:

be a resident in Cumberland
have a disability as defined in the Equality Act 2010
have an education, health and care plan (EHCP)
be in the academic year groups Year 1 to Year 13

If you would like to speak to someone about short breaks, please call: 0300 3038 165 or email [email protected]

Targeted short break activities are intended to support children and young people with low to moderate level needs. Although all eligible children and young people will be offered access to the activities, most of our current providers are only able to support children and young people with low to moderate level needs.