SEND Local Offer - Short Breaks - Assessment application

Apply for a Nottinghamshire County Council funded short break by completing our form.

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I like all the staff, they are kind and make me feel safe.

Short breaks service review update 9^th February 2026

Due to significant demand, we are currently unable to provide a Short Break Resource Allocation assessment. In line with the local authority’s statutory responsibility, any new successful applications made from Monday 9th February 2026 will be awarded a Standard Offer, £216 (24 hours) This will be in the form of a direct payment for a 12-month period.

In response to the unprecedented demand on Nottinghamshire short breaks, we are working towards developing a more equitable offer that will enable us to sustain the service in the long term. In addition to the temporary changes to new applications, all pre-existing short break packages will be reviewed under a new scoring system.

We would like to reassure you that we are doing everything possible to provide the best service for SEND children and young people across Nottinghamshire for the future, and we apologise for any inconvenience.

If you need support with this application

You can contact Ask Us Nottinghamshire for support if you:

cannot complete the application online
feel unable to complete the assessment yourself.

To discuss the form with an advisor, call the telephone helpline at 0800 1217772.

You can also email them at enquiries@askusnotts.org.uk

This 5-minute video helps explain the Short Breaks application process:

Before you start

Before you fill out the form, be sure to review the Short Breaks eligibility criteria.

Make sure you have:

a copy of a Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Personal Independence Payment (PIP) letter your child is currently receiving
confirmation of your child's Education Health and Care (EHC) plan
confirmation that your child's school receives a Higher Level Needs (HLN) payment in relation to their educational needs (please obtain this information from your child’s school).

If your child is currently Electively Home Educated and:

between age 12 and 17 years, you can use the online assessment application form
under age 12, you can download the short breaks assessment form and return it to us.

Apply online

Please note: The 'Applicant details' section requests the name, address and contact details of the person filling in the form. This should be the young person themselves or a family member on behalf of a child or young person, not the professional or organisation working with the family.

To limit the potential for a data breach, the online form will time out after an hour if the data has not been submitted.

For written guidance to help you complete your application online, download the Short Breaks application guide [PDF] [opens in new tab] (opens in new tab)

Apply now (opens in new tab)

What happens next?

Find out what will happen if your short breaks application is successful. You can also find out what you need to know if you would like to appeal a decision.

Go to Short breaks - What happens after you apply?