Service name
Dragon Square Specialist Short Breaks Service
Main contact number
0300 123 1535 (ext 6568)
Service based at
Dragon Square Community Unit
4 & 5 Dragon Square
Chesterton
Newcastle-under-Lyme
ST5 7HL – click here to get directions from Google Maps
Service hours
24/7
About the service
The Specialist Children’s Short Breaks Service provides overnight short breaks for children and young people between the ages of 4-19 years with severe learning disabilities and other complex needs such as complex health, physical disabilities and behaviours that challenge.
During the stays, the children and young people have the opportunity to have fun with peers completing activities inside and outside the unit, the staff support them to gain independence and reach their full potential. Caring, positive relationships are developed between staff and children and their families.
The service provides parents with the opportunity to take a break from their caring role, recharge their batteries and spend quality time with siblings. This helps to prevent family breakdown.
The team consists of a mixture of registered learning disability nurses and Healthcare Support Workers all with great knowledge, training and experience.
Person-centred approaches and positive behaviour support underpins our values.
Referral criteria
Referrals are made via a Joint Multi Agency Respite Resource Panel if the child lives in Staffordshire, and the Multi Agency Short Breaks Forum in Stoke-on-Trent. This is coordinated and chaired by local authority social care services. Referrals can be made to this panel by professionals involved with the child/young person and their family, but usually by the social worker.