Agenda item

a.         Deputation

Received a deputation from Mary Langan (parent of a person with autism and severe learning disabilities) on behalf of the Haringey Learning Disabilities Partnership Board (LDPB) and the Haringey Autism Working Group (AWG), on the proposals for people with learning disabilities within the Corporate Priority (pages 149-150, reference 12 -13). 

Noted, from Ms Langan’s deputation:

i.          The proposed cuts in services included reduced spending on care packages, the closure of the only residential facility in the borough and three out of four day centres, including the only one dedicated to people with ASDs for people with autism and learning disabilities.

ii.         The suggestion that the proposed cuts in services in Haringey should be rejected for the following reasons:

·         The cuts would heavily affect the most vulnerable people in the community and impose an increased burden of care on families and other carers – despite earlier commitments to protect vulnerable groups from austerity measures. Not only was there no evidence to support this policy, it defied the results of the Bubb Report in the journal Learning Disability Today in November, which confirmed the value service users attached to day services and their concerns about services being withdrawn.

·         The cuts were likely to prove a false economy, as the increased burden on home carers would lead to the collapse of existing arrangements precipitating urgent hospital admissions to Winterbourne View-type institutions. Which the Bubb Report, aimed to prevent.

·         The cuts had been proposed in the absence of proper consultation with those likely to be affected, including service users, families and other carers. After the end of year holiday period, with just a few weeks before the budget was set.

iii.        The LDPB and AWG had submitted the following proposals to the Council:

A.        Rescind all proposed cuts in services pending an inquiry into alternative means of meeting budget constraints;

B.        Commitment to making no changes to care packages without comprehensive assessment of needs;

C.        Extend consultation period.

iv.        Beverley Tarka, the Interim Director of Adult Social Services, welcomed feedback from services users and their parents and carers. In response to comments about consultation:

·         Ms Tarka explained that formal consultation could not have commenced prior to the publication of the budget proposals and that the Council was committed to a clear consultation process.

·         Ms Tarka had presented the proposals to the Learning and Disabilities Partnership Board on 10 December. 

·         Letters to service users (available in accessible formats) would be dispatched and published on the website the following week and made available through day service and transport provisions.

·         Ms Tarka would also be attending service user and carers forums through out January in addition to the Council arranged forums on 6 and 9 January 2015.

RESOLVED that the Committee’s budget scrutiny recommendations would reflect some of the concerns expressed above.

b.         Question

Mr Lauritz Hansen-Bay questioned why people over 74 would be excluded from the mandatory Health Checks proposed in Priority 2, reference 20, page 157 of the agenda pack.

RESOLVED that the Director of Public Health, Jeanelle De Gruchy, be requested to provide a formal response to Mr Hansen-Bay after the meeting.

Action: Jeanelle De Gruchy