Short Breaks Children and Young People's Survey

Feedback updated 22 Dec 2020

Results updated 22 Dec 2020

• The most popular activities were ;

• Sports/ physical activities e.g. swimming, cycling, football, boccia 52.5%
• Fun activities e.g. bowling, cinema, soft play 42.5%
• Holiday clubs or playschemes     35%
• A few young people reported that they couldn’t find any suitable activities near them, or couldn’t get the right support to help them access activities.
• Just over a third of respondents said that some or all of the activities they access are short breaks 37.5.%, another third weren’t sure if what they accessed were short breaks 30 % , and a third said they don’t access any short breaks at all 30%.
• The most mentioned places to access activities were ; leisure centres, cinemas, football clubs, bowling alleys, holiday clubs, and after school clubs.
• The things young people said were good about the activities they do were ; having fun, keeping busy and active, keeping fit, feeling safe, being with friends and other children and young people, being supported by staff who understand their needs, having choices, being independent, time away from parents, and following hobbies and interests.
• Types of short break; family fun days were the most popular 75%, followed by one to support to access activities 65%, and activities away from family to spend time with friends 62%
• Young people said that the most important benefits of a short break were;  Fun and enjoyment 92.5%, Socialising/meeting people/making friends 65%, Being more independent/confident 60%,Learning new skills 55%,Doing things other people my age do 55%
• The most common things that stop young people from taking part in an activity were; Worries, fears, phobias or anxiety e.g. about noise, traffic, new people 77.5%, Not enough awareness of disabilities/additional needs 52.5%, Not enough staff to support me 50%, Feeling like I will stand out/not fit in 40%
• 60% of respondents said they don’t find it easy to find out about what’s on in their local area, 22% said they found it easy to find out about activities in their area.
• We received comments on the following themes; improving online information on short breaks and how to access them ( we addressed this in March 2020, by creating an accessible Wiki website which the Local Offer website links to, and also have a Facebook group that parent carers can join to keep up to date with news on short breaks), training for staff so they can support specific needs including attachment and behaviours that challenge, having access to fun activities into adulthood, not being able to find activities in their local area, difficulty finding the right holiday provision, not being able to get children to activities other than afterschool clubs, due to parent carer’s working hours , and a positive comment about family fun days and Compass Card.