A 12-week consultation on the future of our short breaks and emergency respite service has begun.
The service provides support for working-age adults with learning disabilities, autism and physical disabilities, and their families and carers. It is currently based at Swallow Lodge, in North Hykeham, and Cedar House, in Spalding, and delivered by provider Making Space. We are proposing to extend the current contracts until 31July 2027, subject to approval by the council’s Executive, to allow time for meaningful consultation with those using the service, and other types of overnight respite care, and the wider public.
Five options are currently under consideration (see below).
Cllr Steve Clegg, executive member for adult care and health, said: “Our priority will always be delivering the highest-quality, most flexible care and support, while protecting the vital lifeline these services provide.
“We’ll be asking for views on a range of options, including keeping the service as it is now. However, we also want families to consider how the service might better meet the needs of those who struggle to access short breaks under the current model.
“We want to explore whether we can create a new-look service that provides care closer to home, supports a wider range of clinical needs and works for young people who may access the service as they move into adulthood.
“I understand that families are anxious about the possibility of change, and I’d like to reassure them that the services at Swallow Lodge and Cedar House will remain in place whilst we carry out this consultation. No decisions have been taken yet, and all options remain on the table.
“I encourage as many people as possible to share their views on the best way forward, so officers can take their feedback into account when developing their final proposals for the service.”
We will be contacting those who use short breaks directly to arrange individual meetings to discuss the options. These sessions are designed to ensure individual voices can be heard clearly and constructively, giving families the best possible opportunity to share their specific needs and concerns. They will be facilitated by our social care practitioners, who have the professional skills needed to support these conversations, giving us the clearest and most balanced understanding of their views. Cllr Clegg intends to observe a number of these sessions personally.
The wider public will also have an opportunity to share their thoughts through an online survey, available at www.letstalk.lincolnshire.gov.uk/short-breaks-consultation. This will run until Monday 7 September.
Once the feedback has been carefully considered, final proposals will be developed. These will be presented to the Adult Care and Public Health Scrutiny Committee in December, whose members will have an opportunity to visit Swallow Lodge and Cedar House beforehand, to help inform this discussion. A final decision is expected to be taken by the council’s Executive in January 2027.
Options being considered
Option 1 – Keep things the same
Continue providing short breaks and emergency support in the same way as now. The council would continue to secure a provider to deliver the service as they do now.
Option 2 – The council delivers all services
The council would deliver all short break services itself, instead of using external providers. This service would take place in Cedar House and Swallow Lodge and could include home support. We would not appoint a third party to deliver the service. This would be the single option for people to access short breaks. We would cease delivering short breaks through Shared Lives or local nursing and residential providers who support working age adults and rely on the services from Cedar House and Swallow Lodge alone.
Option 3 – Providing support closer to home (previously recommended option by officers)
Stop using council run buildings (both Cedar House and Swallow Lodge) and provide support in local communities instead.
Short breaks and emergency support would be offered in a range of ways:
- Day activities across Lincolnshire
- Staying with Shared Lives carers
- Short stays in selected local care homes or nursing services which support working age adults
- Support provided in your own home
- Direct payments so you can choose how and when you take a break
This option is designed to offer more flexibility and local choices.
Option 4 – Use one main building, plus other local support
Keep one of the current buildings (either Cedar House or Swallow Lodge) open for short breaks and emergency support and providing extra support through:
- Shared Lives – staying with a trained carer in their own home
- Care homes and nursing providers who support working aged adults, offering bookable short breaks
This means fewer council run buildings, but more providers offering support across Lincolnshire.
Option 5 – Using a number of external specialist providers
Short breaks would be delivered by dedicated specialist organisations, across Lincolnshire. They would deliver both planned and emergency support, mainly in their own building-based settings. We would cease to deliver short breaks in Cedar House and Swallow Lodge.