Thrive-to-25: Southwark’s Short Breaks Innovation Programme
Thrive-to-25 is Southwark’s Short Breaks Innovation Programme, funded by the Department for Education.
It is being delivered by Southwark Council and partners until the end of March 2025, to support the development of new and existing activities, as well as other forms of support for children, young people and families.
The programme has 4 key areas, developed in partnership with parents and professionals:
SENsational Stay & Play sessions are delivered across the borough by our Children & Family Centres in collaboration with Cherry Garden School. SENsational Stay & Play sessions are fun FREE sessions for children with additional needs or disabilities and their parents and carers. Families can attend to
- have fun with their child
- meet other families with SEND children
- get information and support on topics such as communication, sleeping and eating, positive behaviour and Autism.
Regular sessions are delivered from 6 different locations. The venues have a range of facilities including indoor and outdoor play, messy play, arts & crafts - some even have sensory rooms and soft play!
Sessions are delivered term-time, at weekends and during school holidays.
Sessions also include input from specialist services such as the council’s Autism Support Team and Positive Behaviour Support Service. Website: https://www.pprncfc.com/sensational-stay-and-play
* Term-time sessions focus on 0-8s but holiday sessions are available for up to 11s!
We are working with a range of providers to improve access to short breaks for children with higher support needs. This includes children and young people with additional needs related to behaviour, communication, support with personal care, and specific physical or health requirements.
One of our key partners is Resources for Autism, a specialist provider offering holiday and weekend provision for autistic young people aged 11-19 who display behaviours of distress or concern. We are also collaborating with other providers to support them to be more inclusive of children with a broader range of needs.
We are piloting a range of new special interest groups and social clubs for young people aged 16-25 including a coding club and ‘gigs and trips’ group. These activities aim to support young people to develop new and existing skills and connect with peers around shared interests.
These activities have been published on the 16-25 section of the local offer and distributed by local organisations. Please visit the Things to Do section for details of these activities and others available locally.
In addition, Southwark Resource Centre is delivering a 4-day-per-week personal development programme to 19-25 year olds who are not in education, employment, or training (NEET). The awards programme is based around Mencap’s Gateway Award.
We are also piloting a time-limited alternative provision through the Neurodiversity Family Hub, which supports neurodiverse young people who are not currently in education, helping them reintegrate back into mainstream education.
We are working with VoiceAbility, parents and young people to conduct reviews of local activities and to develop action plans for improvement. The reviews centre around improving access for children and young people with
special educational needs and disabilities. Through this strand of the programme, participating providers have access to specialist support, training and resources to help them respond to feedback and improve their provision for children and young people with SEND. For more information about this project visit: https://www.voiceability.org/about-advocacy/speak-out-and-self-advocacy/speak-out-southwark-thriving-together
Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) is a broad, evidence-based approach to supporting children and adults who exhibit behaviours of distress or concern. This approach is commonly used with individuals who have a learning disability and/or Autism, and focuses on improving quality of life by making changes to the physical environment, the way support is delivered and/or teaching new skills.
As part of the Thrive-to-25 Programme we are offering free Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) training across Southwark for professionals and parents/carers who support children and adults with a learning disability and/or Autism. This training provides essential knowledge and skills in developing and implementing positive behaviour support strategies and plans.
We are also developing a ‘Community of Practice’ for PBS in Southwark. A ‘Community of Practice’ brings together people with a shared interest in a particular topic and supports them to develop their practice through continuous learning, ongoing training and sharing knowledge and resources. For more information please email Thriveto25@southwark.gov.uk
Please complete this short survey to provide feedback on Southwark’s Targeted Short Breaks offer. This includes afterschool, weekend or holiday activities such as Endorphins, Sport Works, Whippersnappers and Resources for Autism, as well as other activities for specific age groups such as SENsational sessions for under 11s or social clubs for 16-25 year olds.
This feedback will help us continue to improve the short breaks offer in Southwark.
Complete SEND Short Breaks Feedback Form here
Further information about this programme and associated activities will be published on Southwark’s Local Offer throughout the year. For more information or to join the mailing list you can also contact thriveto25@southwark.gov.uk