Over 60,000 disabled children have no access to holiday club provision

Sense is calling on the next Prime Minister to introduce a new national framework for disabled children’s social care, so that support is based on children’s needs, not on where they live. It comes as new data shows that over 60,000 disabled children will not have access to holiday club provision this summer.

New Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to every local authority in England reveal that only 6% of disabled children across the country can access holiday clubs. Of the 114 local authorities who responded, 11 (10%) offered no provision at all, leaving 61,415 youngsters to face the long break without any support.

Further research reveals that more than half (57%) of parent carers say finding accessible holiday clubs is difficult, with many describing the impact on their finances, employment and mental wellbeing.

The charity says that every disabled child is entitled to an assessment for children’s social care support, and this can include support and funding to access holiday clubs and childcare. However, local authorities interpret their duties differently and thresholds for support vary widely between areas.

National approach to holiday club availability

The Law Commission concluded in October 2024 that the current legal framework for children’s social care is fragmented and inconsistent, and recommended a new national approach. Sense is urging the Government to implement those recommendations without further delay, thereby ending the variation in social care support across local authorities.

• Further reading: Law Commission report seeks to end postcode lottery of disabled children’s social care

Harriet Edwards, Director of Influencing at Sense, said: “Every child deserves the chance to spend the summer with friends, learnings new skills and having fun. Yet too many disabled children are missing out simply because accessible holiday clubs aren’t available where they live.

“This stark postcode lottery is failing families. Parents are being forced to cut their working hours, leave their jobs or pay for expensive alternatives because the support they need isn’t there.

“And while there are plans to reform the education system, far too little is being done to improve the care and support disabled children receive in and around school, especially during the 10 weeks each year when schools are on holiday.

“The UK’s next Prime Minister has an opportunity to show disabled children and their families they are a priority every day of the year. Introducing a national framework for children’s social care would help ensure school holiday support is based on children’s needs, not their postcode. Disabled children have waited long enough for a system that works consistently. Now is the time to deliver it.”

End the postcode lottery of summer social care support

For Natalie Thompson, 39, from Birmingham, the six-week school holidays bring her both “financial anxiety and emotional anxiety”. Holiday clubs provided by the family’s local authority can’t meet her son Azuriah’s complex needs, Natalie says, while private options – costing up to £140 a session – are unaffordable.

Last summer, Natalie had no weekday childcare or respite time at all because she was too late to sign Azuriah up to an oversubscribed holiday club run by a charity for disabled children in this area. As a result, she was unable to work, had no time to even catch up with domestic tasks and was left feeling exhausted.

For this summer, she dipped into her savings early in May and secured Tuesday and Thursday slots at the club for Azuriah, paying £80 upfront for each four-hour session.

She said: Azuriah requires one-on-one support to keep him safe and happy. So I’m with him throughout the holidays, from first thing in the morning until last thing at night, nearly every day. I can’t work full-time because of my caring responsibilities and during the school holidays I can only work very limited hours. That hugely limits my employment options and affects us financially.

“It’s also exhausting to be a family carer without many breaks during the six-week holiday, when every day is a high intensity. I can’t leave Azuriah alone while I do things like the laundry or cooking, so even keeping up with household tasks is a struggle. The way school holiday care works for disabled children with complex needs like Azuriah is absolute madness. There should be a national framework, so disabled children get the support they need wherever they live – not this postcode lottery.”

Alison Bloomer

Alison Bloomer is Editor of Learning Disability Today.

See Full Bio