A 12-week consultation on the future of our short breaks and emergency respite service is reaching its mid-point.
People have until Monday 7 September to share their views on five potential options for service’s future (see below for details).
We have contacted those who access all types of short breaks to offer individual meetings to discuss the options. These sessions will ensure individual voices can be heard clearly and constructively, giving families the best possible opportunity to share their specific needs and views. The face-to-face sessions are being 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 Steve Clegg, executive member for adult care and health, has also attended a number of these sessions to hear people’s views first-hand.
Cllr Clegg said: “Our priority will always be delivering the highest-quality, most flexible care and support, while protecting the vital lifeline these services provide.
“I’d like to again reassure people that no decisions have been taken, and all options remain on the table. In addition, the services at Swallow Lodge and Cedar House will remain in place until at least 31July 2027 to give us time to carry out this consultation and consider the feedback received.
“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.”
The short breaks and emergency respite service provides support for working-age adults with learning disabilities, autism and physical disabilities, and their families and carers. The commissioned services operate from Swallow Lodge, in North Hykeham, and Cedar House, in Spalding, and are delivered by provider Making Space. The current contracts have been extended until 31July 2027, to allow time for meaningful consultation with those accessing this and other types of respite support, and the wider public.
The wider public have an opportunity to share their thoughts through an online survey, available at www.letstalk.lincolnshire.gov.uk/short-breaks-consultation.
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 short breaks services beforehand, helping to 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.