Coping with CHAOS

Coping with CHAOS supports the whole family, so all children and young people have equal access to play sessions and suitable activities to have fun together.

We provide for children and young adults with complex, profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) and challenging behaviour that cannot easily access other resources and play schemes. We also provide help and support, information and advice, friendships, and short-term respite care for families and carers who look after a child or children with disabilities. To find out more about registering please click the ‘New Registration Information’ button below. Please note our registrations have closed now until after the summer holidays. You are more than welcome to still register now, however your forms will not be processed until September.

Our Short Breaks Services also include:

• Play opportunity sessions every weekday of the school holidays for the whole family, including siblings

• A youth club, Awesome Nights, for young people with additional needs aged 13 – 18 years old.

• Family support service, regular coffee mornings during term time, workshops and information sessions for parents

• Parent support on Facebook

• Activity and support sessions for siblings aged 8 to 16 at STARs

• Information and signposting

What to expect

A variety of staffed play sessions are held at different locations throughout the county including play/leisure centes, local attractions, special schools and at our own Families Centre in West Moors.

Parents and carers must stay at all session venues but have the opportunity to meet others in a similar situation. Our play support workers, the CHAOS crew, will support your children. Siblings are welcome to attend but remain the responsibility of their parents/carer. This hopefully allows parents to take a break and enjoy a tea or coffee.

Sessions run every weekend on alternate days (one week Saturday, one week Sunday) and can be booked through Schools Buddy. Sessions cost £10 per family.

In the school holidays sessions are bookable once a week and cost £9 per child with additional needs, and £7 per sibling.

Open House sessions also run during school holidays with a cost of £15 per family. These are often held at The Treehouse (Hurn) but do often run at other locations such as Durweston (West Dorset). These are suitable for families of children with additional needs up to 18 years old and registered with Dorset and BCP Councils.

Our facilities

Facilities at The Treehouse (Hurn) include a sensory room, cinema room, games room, soft play, fully accessible toilets and Changing Place, mini golf, outdoor play area and more. Parking is available onsite and number plates must be registered on arrival.

Please note that families must be registered with us in order to access this service.

Our popular Play Opportunities sessions are held every week day during the school holidays for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) aged 0 to 18 years old, offering a short break for the whole family with the confidence that they are being fully supported.

Don’t just take it from us - see what our parents have to say…

“The sessions represent an opportunity for us all to be together and have fun in one place. Both my daughters find the activities and atmosphere enjoyable and I have complete peace of mind.”

“It gives us a chance to have five minutes away from looking after our child and also gives her brother a chance to have quality time to play without her.”

“During the holidays we wouldn’t even attempt to do the activities we do with CHAOS without any help.”

“Play opportunities mean I can bring my son to a greater number and variety of activities than I could on my own, as another adult is there to help with difficult behaviours.”

“We are able to survive the holidays, especially the dreaded summer. We cannot afford one to one care in a holiday play scheme, so we really rely on CHAOS.”

“The kids get to play and I get to chat to parents in the same boat as me. It is a great chance to swap advice and give support.”

“CHAOS is very important to me and my children, being a single parent it gives me a break.”

“I am safely able to enjoy activities with my children together as a family.”

The play opportunities enable us to get out of the house and access activities which we would not normally be able to do. It is also nice to meet up with other parents in the same position.”

“My partner is registered disabled and we do not often do much as a family. The support for myself and my child during the holidays is wonderful. She is able to enjoy more active sessions that I struggle to give her as she is very energetic.”

If you have any other queries which haven’t been listed on here please contact us.