Children’s Service Eligibility
Who can access SoLO’s children’s services?
SoLO provides a range of short breaks and activities for children and young people with disabilities.
Many of our children’s services are subsidised by Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council (SMBC) or supported by other organisations like Solihull HAF. To access a subsidised service, your child or young person must meet the eligibility criteria below.
Eligibility criteria
Children and young people may be eligible if they:
- Are under 19 years old, or attend a special school and are in Year 13 or below.
- Live in the Solihull borough, or are in the care of and the responsibility of Solihull Council, wherever they are placed.
- Have a disability, as defined by the Equality Act 2010, which means they cannot access universal services without substantial, ongoing additional support.
Do we need a Social Care Assessment?
No. Your child or young person does not need to have completed a Social Care Assessment to access SoLO’s targeted Short Breaks services or activities funded through Short Breaks grants.
You will still need to provide evidence that they meet the eligibility criteria outlined above.
What evidence do I need to provide?
When registering with SoLO, we will need confirmation that your child or young person meets the eligibility criteria.
You can provide one of the following:
- Evidence that your child or young person receives the middle or higher rate of Disability Living Allowance (DLA), or any level of Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
- An Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or Social Care Assessment that shows a relevant assessed need.
- A letter from a relevant professional confirming that your child or young person requires access to targeted services for children and young people with disabilities.
A relevant professional could include a GP, consultant, school’s Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO), community nurse or another professional involved in your child or young person’s care or support.
Joining SoLO
To book a place on our term time or holiday short breaks, your child or young person must first be eligible and registered with SoLO.
Our activities are planned in advance so that we can provide appropriate support and make sure each session is suitable for the children and young people attending.
As part of the registration process, we will ask you for information about your child or young person’s needs, interests, communication and support requirements. It is important that the information you provide is clear and up to date. This helps our team understand your child or young person and plan the right support before they attend.
Once registration is complete, our Children’s Team can explain the available services and how to book.
First attendance
We understand that attending a new service for the first time can require some preparation.
Where appropriate, we can offer a taster session. This gives your child or young person the opportunity to experience the service and helps parents and carers understand what to expect before booking regular sessions. The taster session also allows our team to meet your child or young person, become familiar with their support needs and consider whether the service is suitable for them.
Following the session, we can discuss the next steps with you and provide information about future attendance and bookings.
Not sure if your child is eligible?
If you are unsure whether your child or young person meets the eligibility criteria, please contact us.
Our team can explain the requirements, answer your questions and help you understand the next steps. Call us on 0121 779 3865, or:
