Lewes Stop the Cuts has vowed to campaign against cuts proposed by East Sussex County Council, starting with a lobby of the council meeting at County Hall in Lewes on Tuesday 12 February. It is inviting individuals and organisations across the county to join in.
The lobby will meet at the entrance to County Hall between 9 am and 9.45 on the 12th - Can you come?
East Sussex is facing huge cuts to services for the most vulnerable: children with special needs, disabled people, victims of domestic violence, older people, young people at risk, young parents and the homeless will all lose support or vital services. An estimated 100 jobs under threat (figures from BBC report),
We intend to do all we can to fight these proposals. The council wants to save £60 million over 3 years.
But they are sitting on £473m in reserves, (as of March 2012) and LSTC argues that some of these reserves should be used to fund any shortfall due to the coalition government’s draconian and unjust cuts. The council has also just committed about £40 million on the polluting Bexhill/Hastings link road.
The Cuts in Detail:
Adult Social Care: Older People
● Day services ’decommissioned’, with assessed needs and residential services needs to be met from private sector.
● End of Handyperson Grant Scheme, a universal grant for over 65s of up to £200.
● Reduced support for community services and personal care budgets.
Adult Social Care: Working Age Adults
● Community based services to focus on personal care rather than activities of daily living, reducing the range of activities available.
● Reduced support for personal budgets
Universal Services
● Reduction in training for staff
● Strategy and Commissioning staff reductions in 2015/16
● Special Needs Housing Officers to be made redundant
● Housing support for vulnerable older people cut by 15% by 2015/16
● Young Parent Services - loss of 1 of 3 accommodation based services. Loss of night services and on site support for individuals in crisis.
● Young people at Risk - removal of an intensive service for young homeless people or those leaving care
● Supported Accommodation and Independent Living - cut by 15%
● Offenders and complex homeless support - cut pilot scheme by 15%
● Domestic Violence Refuges - cut from 5 to 4
● Mental health and Homeless Services - closure of 1 accommodation based service.
Special Education Needs and Disability
● Reduction of agency foster care, leading to more residential care and closure of respite unit.
● Cut after school clubs and play schemes
Children’s Social Care
● Reduced in house capacity for residential care
Learning and Schools Effectiveness
● Reduced universal service in Childrens Centres
● Reduce Secondary Behaviour Support service
● Reduce Targeted Youth Service (community group work, 1:1, CAMHS and substance misuse)
● Reduce number of qualified teachers in Childrens Centres, and services targeted towards supporting vulnerable young parents.
● Reduce funding for Standards and Learning Effectiveness (SLES) support to schools
● Remove inclusion bursary to support disabled children to access childcare and early years provision.
● Reduce Youth Offending team
● 2.5% increase in charges for traded services
● Removal of transport support for parents of post 16 SEN young people except for nearest school
Transport
● Reduce Road safety education and contribution to Sussex Safer Roads Partnership
Community Services
● Libraries - reduce staffing and book stock budget.
● Arts - removal of Grant Aid Budget to match fund external organisations
For more information contact: LSTC media officer Chris Smith 01273 474070 (office hours) 079015 33876 (mobile) or email chris.smith@hbhelp.co.uk
Lewes Stop the Cuts is a non party campaign group opposed to cuts in public services affecting Lewes. It has over 450 supporters who are sent regular updates. To subscribe visit our website at http://lewesstopthecuts
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