Registering
Yes they can! Siblings are welcome to Stay n Play and Family Fun Days.
For Stay n Play we just need to make you aware that it is aimed at the very young and mainly under 5’s and our objective is to give them a safe place to learn about their environment. We just ask that if you have a boisterous child over 5 that you think about the suitability of the session for them and others.
We do however, tend to open up to all ages during the school holidays so that siblings normally at school and attend. We also try to make these sessions a little bit more special and hold events such as music sessions at the venue.
I’m afraid that siblings cannot attend for Hydrotherapy and Yoga sessions due to the space constraints and costs involved.
There is also no need to register siblings. Just book them onto the event along with you and the registered child.
Little Hiccups provides opportunities for therapy, fun, friendship and enjoyment for children with additional needs, their brothers and sisters and parents, grandparents and carers and other supporters. Our aim is to be a fully inclusive and transparent charity.
We want to provide a safe, welcoming and fun environment for the whole family and therefore we expect that all staff, volunteers, parents, carers and children show respect, acceptance and tolerance to all who attend Little Hiccups sessions.
We encourage parents to use positive behaviour management and understand that different needs may present different behavioural challenges. We understand that behaviour is a form of communication and allow children to engage with the activities on offer however they feel comfortable, as long as they and the other people attending are safe.
Very occasionally, some sessions might not be suitable for some children. Either for a particular child on a particular day or at that particular stage of their development. We will gather information during the application process to ensure we know as much about your child’s needs as possible before a session to help us to decide with you if an activity is suitable or not. We want to support you and your children, so we will do our best to offer an alternative activity.
We will make reasonable adjustments to include all children where possible. For example, we could try to find extra staff or volunteers with relevant experience for additional support during a session. Or we could modify the experience provided in the session, on a planned future occasion, to better meet the child’s needs. In our Stay n Play sessions, we could arrange for the child to visit before the session starts so they are able to experience the environment with no other distractions around.
In extreme circumstances, we may have to admit that Little Hiccups is not the right environment for a particular child or family at that time; where this is the case, we will work with the family to find another suitable provision where possible. And of course, just because it is not right at the moment, does not mean that it will not be in the future. We will always be willing to try again.
If you feel, from the description of the experience provided by the session, and your experience of your child’s reaction to similar environments that a session would not be suitable, please let us know. We can look at the reasonable adjustments mentioned above to adapt the session to include your child or offer an alternative.
It could also become gradually evident during a session that a new environment and experience is causing a child to be distressed or to behave in a way likely to cause distress for the other children in the session. On this occasion, it might be necessary to end the child’s participation in the session. If a child’s reaction was thought to be likely to cause a risk to their own safety, or to the safety of others during the session, we might also need to
ask for the child to be withdrawn on that occasion. We would do this discreetly and respectfully.
Everyone at Little Hiccups wants to make attending Little Hiccups sessions a great experience for all the children who attend and their families. We have gained lots of experience over the years that we have been running sessions, but we really do need your expertise as parents and carers to help make this happen. So we would welcome any advice or feedback about services we offer, what we could provide in the future, and what we could try to do differently or as extra support for your child or other children with similar additional needs, to make it a better experience. It might take some time or even a bit of extra fundraising, but we will do our best to make it possible for everyone who comes to Little Hiccups to take away a great experience.
If you have read our Eligibility criteria and would like to join Little Hiccups, you can do so online here.
Little Hiccups is a charity that supports families that have a child(ren) under 18 with additional needs or a disability. The Education Act 2002 defines ‘additional needs’ as:
“the new concept of additional support needs refers to any child or young person who, for whatever reason, requires additional support for learning. Additional support needs can arise from any factor which causes a barrier to learning, whether that factor relates to social, emotional, cognitive, linguistic, disability, or family and care circumstances and learning environment.”
Our remit as a Charity is to support additional needs that are specific to a disability, regardless of whether or not they are registered disabled or have an official diagnosis.
Within this remit, Little Hiccups does not want to put a label on what classes as an ‘additional need’ or ‘disability’ as the definition and range is so broad. Our emphasis will instead be on whether the family feels they need the support of the group.
We are however, completely self funded so need to ensure that the monies raised are getting to the right families that need the support the most. Consequently, we ask that families are honest and decide themselves that they feel that they are in need of the support of Little Hiccups.
Very occasionally we may have to admit that Little Hiccups is not the right environment for a particular child or family at that time; where this is the case, we will work with the family to find another suitable provision if possible.
We also ask that new members read our Behaviour Statement before joining. By joining Little Hiccups you are agreeing to abide by the Guidelines.
Family Fun Day Questions
Yes they can! Siblings are welcome to Stay n Play and Family Fun Days.
For Stay n Play we just need to make you aware that it is aimed at the very young and mainly under 5’s and our objective is to give them a safe place to learn about their environment. We just ask that if you have a boisterous child over 5 that you think about the suitability of the session for them and others.
We do however, tend to open up to all ages during the school holidays so that siblings normally at school and attend. We also try to make these sessions a little bit more special and hold events such as music sessions at the venue.
I’m afraid that siblings cannot attend for Hydrotherapy and Yoga sessions due to the space constraints and costs involved.
There is also no need to register siblings. Just book them onto the event along with you and the registered child.
Thanks to a Cash 4 Kids grant, Little Hiccups has a Mobile Changing Unit that we are able to bring with us to certain events. This means that for children that are unable to use a Disabled Toilets and require a Changing Place we are able to provide a safe place to change your child. It does require a private room of a certain size however so it may not be available for every event. Please email info@littlehiccups.co.uk if you wish to inquire if it will be available.
Criteria for Use
- Families must have a child with disabilities/additional needs that would benefit from the Mobile Changing Unit.
- Families must be registered Little Hiccups families and at the time of use must be at a Little Hiccups event. You can download a Little Hiccups Registration Form here.
Documents
The below documents will be available with the Mobile Changing Unit. These are for reference only.
- Mobile Changing Unit Instructions
- Mobile Changing Unit Conditions of Use
- Mobile Changing Unit Risk Assessment
Please note that Little Hiccups can only offer refunds if you contact us to cancel before the ticket sales are closed. Once the sale closes, we purchase the tickets for the event based on the number of people that have booked. Tickets are heavily subsided and any late cancellations means that it comes out of Little Hiccups account. We apologise for any inconvenience that this may cause but as you can most likely appreciate, Little Hiccups is entirely self-funding and it is not easy raising the money!
You can read our full Event Cancellation Policy on the Policies and Procedures page
Little Hiccups provides opportunities for therapy, fun, friendship and enjoyment for children with additional needs, their brothers and sisters and parents, grandparents and carers and other supporters. Our aim is to be a fully inclusive and transparent charity.
We want to provide a safe, welcoming and fun environment for the whole family and therefore we expect that all staff, volunteers, parents, carers and children show respect, acceptance and tolerance to all who attend Little Hiccups sessions.
We encourage parents to use positive behaviour management and understand that different needs may present different behavioural challenges. We understand that behaviour is a form of communication and allow children to engage with the activities on offer however they feel comfortable, as long as they and the other people attending are safe.
Very occasionally, some sessions might not be suitable for some children. Either for a particular child on a particular day or at that particular stage of their development. We will gather information during the application process to ensure we know as much about your child’s needs as possible before a session to help us to decide with you if an activity is suitable or not. We want to support you and your children, so we will do our best to offer an alternative activity.
We will make reasonable adjustments to include all children where possible. For example, we could try to find extra staff or volunteers with relevant experience for additional support during a session. Or we could modify the experience provided in the session, on a planned future occasion, to better meet the child’s needs. In our Stay n Play sessions, we could arrange for the child to visit before the session starts so they are able to experience the environment with no other distractions around.
In extreme circumstances, we may have to admit that Little Hiccups is not the right environment for a particular child or family at that time; where this is the case, we will work with the family to find another suitable provision where possible. And of course, just because it is not right at the moment, does not mean that it will not be in the future. We will always be willing to try again.
If you feel, from the description of the experience provided by the session, and your experience of your child’s reaction to similar environments that a session would not be suitable, please let us know. We can look at the reasonable adjustments mentioned above to adapt the session to include your child or offer an alternative.
It could also become gradually evident during a session that a new environment and experience is causing a child to be distressed or to behave in a way likely to cause distress for the other children in the session. On this occasion, it might be necessary to end the child’s participation in the session. If a child’s reaction was thought to be likely to cause a risk to their own safety, or to the safety of others during the session, we might also need to
ask for the child to be withdrawn on that occasion. We would do this discreetly and respectfully.
Everyone at Little Hiccups wants to make attending Little Hiccups sessions a great experience for all the children who attend and their families. We have gained lots of experience over the years that we have been running sessions, but we really do need your expertise as parents and carers to help make this happen. So we would welcome any advice or feedback about services we offer, what we could provide in the future, and what we could try to do differently or as extra support for your child or other children with similar additional needs, to make it a better experience. It might take some time or even a bit of extra fundraising, but we will do our best to make it possible for everyone who comes to Little Hiccups to take away a great experience.
As a charity we are 100% reliant on grants, fundraising and donations to be able to provide our services at a much reduced cost. We want events to be accessible to all but this does mean that we have to place a limit on who can attend. It goes without saying, that families attending must have a child with additional needs or disabilities that would benefit from Little Hiccups events.
Others include:
- All immediate family are welcome to attend events, especially siblings. We want to put on events that the whole family can attend together. We are aware that every family is different and step-families, etc. are welcome.
- Carers of the child
- Friends and family in a supportive role. If one of the barriers to attending one of our events is much needed support with the children then please do bring a friend or family member to help you.
We are also aware that there may be other mitigating circumstance. If you are not sure, email us on info@littlehiccups.co.uk and we’ll let you know!
The Principle Trust Holidays Questions
Yes – all sites have an office which are open during office hours and you will be given a 24/7 mobile number for Principle Trust.
There is an instruction manual in the lodge for the hoists.
Again, we know that these things happen. Please just let us know as soon as possible again using the details above. Please try to ensure that the lodges are secure and the key returned to the park reception team.
Let us know as soon as possible! It may be that we can get somebody else in but this will be more likely the more notice that you give us.
To cancel, please contact The Principle Trust on 01756 704782 and email info@littlehiccups.co.uk as soon as possible.
Your deposit will be refunded in any case.
It will be reviewed on a case by case basis as to whether you will be offered another holiday slot or whether you may need to reapply. These will depend on the circumstances of the cancellation and the amount of notification given. Consideration will be given for serious illness, hospital stays, Covid-related incidents and other serious unavoidable events. Please contact Little Hiccups to discuss on info@littlehiccups.co.uk
Little Hiccups asks for this liability to ensure coverages for any breakages or theft of items, etc. We understand that accidents happen and sometimes things get broken etc, however any wilful damage or additional cleaning or external repairs may be necessary as a result of family actions and this is what the deposit will cover. On confirmation from the park, the deposit will be refunded.
Please report any urgent issues to the Park reception team and any damages to The Principle Trust on 01756 704782 as soon as possible.
Yes!
The Principle Trust just asks that you complete a survey before and after the holiday as this is used to help them prove that the holidays improve lives, relationships, and give that much needed happiness to some families. The comments and results on these feedback sheets are what helps us apply for grants as the results show what they are doing is working for the children and their families. They play such a vitally important part in securing funding and allowing them to provide the holidays.
You can complete it here: https://s.surveyplanet.com/aDa80nNnN
Under no circumstances are any pets allowed in any of our accommodation.
We recognise that in some cases we have children with assistance dogs however we must also respect some children will have health issues surrounding animals so please always discuss this with us prior to the holiday.