Short breaks
Introducing the Gateway Card to activity providers
From 1 April 2012, all children and young people with disabilities and/or additional needs will be required to register for a Gateway Card if they would like to use any of the activities funded through Hampshire County Council's short breaks programme.
We are encouraging families to register for their Gateway Cards, and we would appreciate your help in promoting the card to the families that you work with.
The Gateway card is a free and can be used by families to identify that a child has a disability and/or additional needs and may require support to access activities. Each card will have the child’s name and a unique number.
The benefits of the Gateway Card for activity providers
It will be easier to identify children and young people that may require additional support.
There is funding available to support individuals that require additional support who would like to access leisure and recreation activities - this funding is now called ‘support for individuals’. For this funding, we only require activity providers to complete a short two page funding form and then just add the child’s name and Gateway Card number - there will be no other funding paperwork to be collected from families.
Activity providers can market events and offer activities specifically to Gateway Card holders (and their families), such as open days.
Activity providers can look to offer other benefits to Gateway Card holders, for example first session free, carers go free, discounted rates…and more.
It will be easier for reporting details of attendees at events and activities funded through the short breaks programme, minimising paperwork for everyone.
The benefits of the Gateway Card for families
The Gateway Card provides an easier more comfortable way to identify to an activity provider that a child or young person has a disability and/or additional needs. as well as:
helping to ensure easier access to activities
less form filling for funding support
and there will be other benefits as offered by activity providers, for example carers go free, autism friendly sessions etc.
Who can apply for a Gateway Card?
The Gateway card is for children and young people who:
have a disability and/or additional needs and may require support to participate fully in leisure and recreation activities
are between 0 to 19 years old
live in Hampshire an/or attend a school in Hampshire (excluding Portsmouth, Southampton and the Isle of Wight as they have similar schemes)
Registering for a Gateway Card
Families can apply online for a Gateway Card
There is also a leaflet to download with a form that can be completed and returned by post (no stamp required).
More information is available at www.hants.gov.uk/gatewaycard which you can link to on your website or include in your promotional material.
If you would like hard copies of the Gateway Card leaflet which includes a registration form to provide to families, please contact us at the details below (quoting the quantity required, contact name and postal address for them to be sent to).
More information
To find out more about short breaks and the Gateway Card, email shortbreaks@hants.gov.uk or call 01962 846399.
Gateway Card
Register for a Gateway Card for access to activities, play schemes and buddy schemes available through our short breaks programme.
Resources available
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