A formal legal agreement over the future funding of overnight short breaks for the county's most vulnerable young people has been finalised.

The agreement had been expected to be completed last year, before the closure of the Nascot Lawn Respite Centre, in Watford.

The centre provided care for young people with complex needs, giving their families vital respite time, but was closed by Herts Valleys Clinical Commissioning Group as it was forced to save money.

At a meeting of Hertfordshire County Council last month, it emerged that it had still not been signed.

But on Thursday (April 25), CCG chief executive Kathryn Magson confirmed that the process was now complete.

In a written report presented to a meeting of the governing body, she said: “Following our partnership work with Herts County Council and East and North Herts CCG regarding overnight short breaks, I can now confirm the Section 75 legal agreement which describes our funding contribution to overnight short breaks has been signed and sealed by all parties.”

The agreement commits Herts Valleys CCG and East and North Herts CCG to paying £100,000-a-year for five years towards the provision of overnight short breaks for children with complex health needs in the county.

And following the meeting, a spokesperson for Hertfordshire County Council welcomed the conclusion  of the legal agreement between the three parties.

The spokesperson said: “We are pleased that the section 75 agreement between the county council and the CCGs has now been signed and funding for the provision of overnight short breaks in Hertfordshire has been secured.”