Community and Leisure activities refer to a range of organised group activities that include play schemes, Children’s Centres, extended school activities, Saturday clubs, after school clubs, evening and youth clubs. These may be specifically organised for disabled children or be universal community activities that include both disabled and non-disabled children and young people.

Ealing Council’s philosophy is that more disabled children and young people should be included in mainstream, universal community and leisure settings. It is recognised that disabled children may require one to one support to access inclusive services, either until they are settled or long term. See Life and Leisure and Local Support which include the following short breaks services:

• Contact a Family day trips, holidays and parties
• Crossroads after-school club, Life Skills course, parent carer service, Futureversity programme.
• Extended Schools Service
• Futureversity (Summer University)
• Gateway Clubs Mencap Saturday and after school clubs
• Log Cabin Adventure Playground after school club, Saturday club, holiday play schemes
• P.E.S.T.S. family fun days and parties
• The W13 Social Club youth and social club.

Therapeutic short breaks are an intensive package of short term clinical psychology support, behavioural intervention and short breaks, to support families with a child or young person with severe learning difficulties and severe challenging behaviours, aged over 11 years. Therapeutic short breaks are designed to prevent family breakdown and minimise the need for the child or young person to be accommodated or go into a residential placement. A Core Assessment is required and referral is via a Clinical Psychologist – see ‘How to access short breaks’.