The councillor overseeing Warwickshire County Council's failure to provide overnight respite care is unable to tell exhausted parent-carers when the problem will be solved – three months after it was flagged.

Families of children that the council has assessed as having the required needs are entitled to short breaks, allowing parent-carers much-needed respite from caring responsibilities.

The closure of an externally-ran facility on Rouncil Lane, Kenilworth, in March had been on the agenda for some time but with a replacement still not in place, families entitled to overnight provision are now unable to access it.

The matter was raised at the county's children and young people's scrutiny committee back in June and again this month, prompting Cllr Jennifer McAllister to ask portfolio holder for children and families, education and SEND Cllr Wayne Briggs for an update.

She asked: "By what date will overnight respite be restored to ensure families receive the support that they have been assessed as needing?"

Cllr Briggs replied: "We had the unfortunate situation of the closure of Rouncil Lane so I can't give you a date at the moment.

"We are looking to progress something. I believe there are facilities there for three or four-hour breaks but clearly we need to move that forward."

He vowed to raise the matter in an internal meeting later that day and subsequently added that a report was being prepared ahead of the committee's next meeting in November.

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"It should be with members by the end of the week, it is quite a detailed report," said Cllr Briggs.

What that will do for families remains to be seen but in the meantime, another two months appears to have been added to their wait.

It is not a new problem, either, with the Kenilworth closure adding to existing capacity pressures rather than being the primary cause.

A survey conducted in late 2025 by Warwickshire Parent Carer Voice, an independent advocacy group that works alongside the council, showed "significant gaps in provision, awareness and accessibility with serious implications for the wellbeing of families".

It noted at the time that parent carers were asking for "more respite, emotional support, inclusive activities, trained staff and clear communication".

"Above all, they asked to be heard, understood and treated with compassion," the survey summary read.

In an address to the scrutiny panel earlier this month, parent-carer Elissa Novak detailed how Warwickshire families that do not need NHS provision could no longer access overnight respite, while users of NHS facilities in Atherstone "are reporting reductions and cancellations", particularly when capacity is required for mental health emergencies.