Short Break Providers & Direct Payments
If your child or young person have been awarded a Nottinghamshire County Council short break there are a number of choices available, this will depend on the hours allocated.
If your child or young person is awarded 74hours or under these can only be used as a direct payment for activities.
Short Break Providers
If your child has been awarded 96 short break hours and above they will have the option of either a group session or a befriender with one of our approved providers, the Childrens Commissioning Team will contact providers on your behalf.
The providers listed in this directory have been through Nottinghamshire County Councils tender process to be able to be listed on our Approved Provider Framework for disabled children and young people.
Nottinghamshire County Council Approved Short Breaks Providers Directory
Direct Payment for Activities
This is a direct payment paid to you to enable you to fund activities in the community, for example: swimming lessons; football lessons; trips to the cinema; trips to a theme park.
You can find listings of services on the SEND Local Offer Things to do section:
Funds for this will be uploaded onto a pre-payment debit card. You can buy a service by using the card in person, over the Internet or using the telephone. You will only be able to make payments with the card as agreed in your Short Breaks Agreement and where there are sufficient funds on your card.
All direct payments are subject to an annual audit, proof of purchase for any expenditure must be retained by the direct payment recipient for 3 years and presented to the Council when requested. Direct payments are awarded annually and any unspent or misused funds will be recouped by the Council.
Direct Payment for Personal Assistants (PAs)
This is a direct payment paid to you to enable you to employ a Personal Assistant (PA).
A PA could be a family friend/Teaching Assistant/relative or neighbour, as long as they don’t live at the same address as the young person receiving the short break or have parental responsibility.
A DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check must be carried out by Nottinghamshire County Council on the potential PA before their employment can start. A PA would be paid at the current national minimum wage.
A payroll company will support you in working out your payments to the PA and the HMRC, they also give advice on being an employer.
If you wish to find out information about the role of a Personal Assistant or are looking for a Personal Assistant to provide support for your child or young person you can find further information on the Notts Help Yourself website Personal Assistant Directory.
Personal Assistants supporting age range 5-15 yearsPersonal Assistants supporting age range 16-17 years
The Council will provide you, as the employer, with funds to purchase Employer’s Liability Insurance on an annual basis. If, once the package finishes, your PA is entitled to redundancy pay, you will be required to go down a HR route with the Employer’s Liability Insurance, as their employer. Your insurance company should investigate this accordingly and determine if a redundancy payment is due.
Payroll Providers for Direct Payments
If your child/young person has been issued a direct payment for a Personal Assistant you may wish to consider using a specialist company to manage your employee payroll.
There are several companies who offer specialist payroll support services and some of these are listed below:
Purple Direct Payment Support Service
- Payroll
- Start up
Contact details:
Tel: 01245 392300
Email: info@purple-dpss.co.uk
For further information please click on this link Purple Direct Payment Support Service – Changing the disability conversation (purple-dpss.co.uk)
Solo Support Services
- Payroll
- Start up
Contact details: Tel: 0345 241 5565
Email: info@solosupportservices.co.uk
For further information please click on this link Solo Support Services - Contact
Penderels Trust
Contact details: Tel: 02476 511611
Email: enquiries@penderelstrust.org.uk
For further information please click on this link Penderels Trust - Opening the Door to Independent Living
People Plus Group
- Payroll
- Start up
Contact details: Tel 0800 345666
Email: customerexperience@peopleplus.co.uk
For further information please click on this link Health & Social Care Support | PeoplePlus
Rosekel Resourcing
- Payroll
- Start up
Contact details: Tel 0115 9648212 Email: info@rosekelresourcing.com
For further information please click on this link Home - Rosekel Resourcing
All direct payments are subject to an annual audit, proof of purchase for any expenditure must be retained by the direct payment recipient for 3 years and presented to the Council when requested. Direct payments are awarded annually and any unspent or misused funds will be recouped by the Council.
Direct Payment Pre-Paid Debit Cards
You can read a guide to direct payment pre-paid debit cards or by clicking on the icon below;
All direct payments are subject to an annual audit, proof of purchase for any expenditure must be retained by the direct payment recipient for 3 years and presented to the Council when requested. Direct payments are awarded annually and any unspent or misused funds will be recouped by the Council.
Universal Activities and Events
The following website links will take you to other sources of information regarding events and activities for all children that are taking place across Nottinghamshire including school holiday periods:
Short Break Newsletters
Short Breaks Service Newsletter
Keeping you updated on short service developments
activities and events around Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire County Council are continually working to develop short breaks services that meet the needs of local families and our newsletter aims to share information, including the latest developments on new short break services, activities and events around the County.
Click here for the latest Newsletter Spring 2024 Short Breaks newsletter