PROTEST AGAINST CUTS TO SERVICES FOR VULNERABLE ADULTS AND CHILDREN CALLED BY HARINGEY UNISON, supported by Haringey Unite Community branch

PROTEST AGAINST CUTS TO SERVICES FOR VULNERABLE ADULTS AND CHILDREN

Lobby of Cabinet meeting, Tuesday 10th November 2015, Assemble at Haringey Civic Centre at 5.30pm

Council services for children and vulnerable adults face being cut or privatised, which will have a devastating effect on both service users and their carers.

Come along and show councillors that we will not allow our public services to be attacked

All those opposed to cuts in public services are welcome

CALLED BY HARINGEY UNISON, supported by Haringey Unite Community branch

We need your help!

Devastating cuts in Social Care planned

On Tuesday 10 November the Council’s Cabinet is deciding on devastating cuts to vulnerable adult services. This involves closing day centres for people with dementia, with autism and with learning disabilities.

Because of the pressure from users and organisations like SCAH, (Social Care Alliance Haringey), SASH (Save Autism Services in Haringey) and others who work with them, the Council have made SOME  changes to originally planned cuts and closures , for example at Osborne Grove.

Please write to the councillors on the Cabinet and get them to think again! See template letter below

There are alternatives!  

The Council should draw further on its reserves, or raise council tax to fund these vital services  as well as demanding that central government allocate Haringey at least as much funding per person as inner London boroughs receive.(see below)

Please write to the Cabinet councillors before 10/11/15 – details on attached template

As usual with this sort of email it will have more impact if you can personalise it and give information about how the closures will affect you or someone close to you (if that’s appropriate).

Please send a copy to your MPs .David Lammy and Catherine West have both been sympathetic when members of SCAH recently met them about these cuts.

Suggested template letter to MPs and Councillors about closure of day centres:

(As usual with this sort of thing, it will have more impact if you can personalise your e-mail, and give information about how the closures will affect your or someone close to you if that’s appropriate).

Send it to your MP AND at least some of the Council cabinet members in good time for their meeting Tuesday Nov. 10:-

claire.kober@haringey.gov.uk  

ann.waters@haringey.gov.uk

peter.morton@haringey.gov.uk

bernice.vanier@haringey.gov.uk

joe.goldberg@haringey.gov.uk

stuart.mcnamara@haringey.gov.uk

alan.strickland@haringey.gov.uk

ali.demirci@haringey.gov.uk

jason.arthur@haringey.gov.uk

Dear…….

I am very concerned about the Council’s proposal to close day centres for people with dementia, with autism and with learning disabilities. I am pleased to learn that pressure from users and organisations who work with them has resulted in some changes to originally planned cuts and closures, for example Osborne Grove. Can the Council not go a step further?

Please exercise all the influence you possibly can to DELAY these closures at least unless and until acceptable alternative care and activity plans are in place for the users. Despite months of supposed consultation it is not at all clear what alternative provision people will be offered in most cases - or how it can be paid for, given that many users’ ‘personal budgets’ are very small and also being reduced. Many of the potential alternatives in terms of lunch clubs, exercise sessions, gardening opportunities etc. are in community centres which are themselves threatened with closure because of short leases and withdrawal of Council funds. Many of the people affected cannot travel easily to different parts of the borough.

The Council should consider drawing further on its reserves, or raising council tax to fund these vital services, as well as demanding that central government allocate Haringey at least as much funding per person as inner London boroughs receive. We understand that in 2014 inner London boroughs got £1957 per resident over 75 and outer London only £816. This is a scandal given the deprivation that Haringey faces particularly in the east of the borough.

Once day centres are closed, the buildings emptied and staff laid off, and important social networks for users disrupted, these key aspects of users’ lives will be lost forever and precious source of respite care replaced with untried and untested provision. Even if only a handful of users are driven into seeking residential care as a result – at a cost of up to £30,000 to £70,000 per person per year - expected savings will be whittled away.