Short Breaks Scheme Wales

About the Short Breaks Scheme 

The Short Breaks Scheme is the grant fund for third sector organisations delivering personalised, flexible and creative short breaks to unpaid carers in Wales.

Funded by Welsh Government, the Short Breaks Scheme for unpaid carers aims to enable 30,000 carers to take a break from caring by 2025.

A range of break options to meet the diverse communities of Wales have been funded through this programme. These aim to improve carer resilience and wellbeing and to support the sustainability of the carer’s caring relationship. 

Accessing a short break 

To apply for a short break, unpaid carers should contact their local provider directly.   
 
Full details are available on our new website.

Short Breaks Scheme Grant Awards – South East Wales

Following the closure of the Care Collective at the end of March 2024, and the end of their project to deliver the Short Breaks Scheme, Carers Trust Wales invited organisations to apply for funding to deliver the scheme in Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly and Newport.  The funding was open to both Third Sector Organisations and Carers Trust Network Partners.

As a result of this process, the following grants have been made to cover the period September 2024 to the end of March 2025:

NEWCIS: Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly and Newport

Building on their successful work with the Bridging the Gap respite care project in South East Wales, NEWCIS will be delivering personalised short breaks for unpaid carers across Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly and Newport.  The project will identify carers most at need and those carers from under-represented groups.

All Wales Forum of Parents and Carers of People with Learning Disabilities: Caerphilly

As an extension of their current Seibiant short breaks project, AWF will be planning and delivering breaks for family carers of children and adults with Learning Disabilities living in the Caerphilly region.

The Outdoor Partnership: Caerphilly

The Outdoor Partnership have been funded to run two outdoor activity residential experiences for young unpaid carers from the Caerphilly region, in the Eryri National Park, where they will take part in a variety of outdoor skill sessions as well as hiking to the summit of Yr Wyddfa, the highest mountain in Wales. 

Age Connects Torfaen: Newport

Working with Age Cymru Gwent, Age Connects Torfaen will be delivering their ‘Your Time, Your Choice’ project in the region of Newport.  This will provide carers of people living with dementia with a pick and mix choice of flexible short breaks at different settings in Newport. The short breaks menu of choices have been identified through a co-production approach, involving the direct lived experience of carers.  

All four organisations are currently already delivering short breaks activities through the scheme and this additional funding will allow them to support carers in south east Wales.

Unpaid carers can access the Short Breaks Scheme website to find breaks in their area.