***5000 signatures forces the Council to discuss the issue at a Council Meeting. Please only sign this petition if you live, work or use LD services in Somerset*** The transfer of Somerset’s Learning Disability Service from Somerset County Council to Discovery was promised as a means of ensuring sustainable care for people with a learning disability, with ‘no savings targets’. It is now clear, however, that to make the £4m saving predicted Discovery plan to make staff redundant, reduce the terms and conditions of those left, and possibly close day centres. By starving funding for adult social care Somerset County Council have handed Discovery the task of implementing cuts that will hit the care provided to vulnerable people. Cuts will lower morale, risk high staff turnover, and leave staff vacancies unfilled. Service users and their families were promised a sustainable service focused on the continuity of care delivered by experienced, knowledgeable and familiar staff. The cuts proposed will be highly detrimental to the delivery of personalised quality care. We are therefore calling on Somerset County Council to give LD Services the funding that it needs to ensure continued high quality care for vulnerable adults in Somerset. If the current cuts are progressed this will not be achieved.

autistic people are a huge contribution to our society, in many ways they are superior to so-called normal people and they deserve our respect. Many of our brightest minds and our greatest achievers are autistic and autistic people need to be protected

Lee, Dave and Saeed responded to a call for asssitance from a pregnant colleague who was being assaulted by a fare evader. The fare evader punched Lee Cornell twice in the head and stole his glasses. London Underground failed to make good their commitment to their staff that anyone who abuses or assaults their staff will be pursued through the courts. Instead they turned on the staff and dismissed Lee Cornell and gave final warnings to Dave Sharp and Saeed Sioussi. We are demanding those sanctions are over turned.

Children from nursery age 3 years up to high school age 16/18 safety & well being.

The CYCLE HUB will compliment our beautiful coastline whilst providing a 'stand-out' attraction for the many cyclists, tourists and general public whom already frequent the Spanish Battery. The development will assist with the enhancement and preservation of the Tynemouth conservation area and local heritage for generations to come. North Tyneside attracts approximately 5.8 million visitors each year who inject £279 Million into the local economy, supporting over 3500 jobs. This proposal will open a disused private garden into a considerate, visually low-impact CYCLE HUB that will only be visible from the southern aspect on the River Tyne. From the outset the building has been sensitively designed to ensure the iconic views to and from the Brigade Watch House remain unspoilt. The building will be sunk beneath a manicured lawn at the same level as the current garden. We have even gone as far as to store refuse bins below ground level. Two large car parks already exist to provide customers with parking. Additional spaces will be allocated for the sole use of the Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigades response vehicles, whilst residents parking will remain untouched. Those living on the Battery will be un-effected by the building as the aim is to cater for passing trade that already exists. The vast majority of our intended customers will arrive by foot or cycle. Our vision is to provide Tynemouth with a gateway amenity that links to the National Cycle Network and provides a valuable facility for Tynemouth residents and the wider general public. The development will ensure a notable finishing point for those tackling the challenge of the Coast to Coast/Coast to Castles/Great North Bike Rides. In essence the Cycle Hub will establish Tynemouth as a key destination within the cycling community. A multitude of independent reporting commissioned by UK GOV indicates that development and investment in cycling infrastructure and sustainable transport provides the following: • Creates inward investment to an area. • Brings more jobs and positively effects the labour market, contractors and wider infrastructure/services. • Increases health of those in the area, with exercise in excess of Chief Medical Officers guidelines. • Boosts the local economy and business • Creates a modal shift in the well being of individuals. • Increases social inclusion and connectivity. • Makes better cities and neighbourhoods. • A reduction in Crime Rate. • An increase in rental and property prices. • Eases congestion. • Improves air quality. The North East of England is renowned for its warmth and hospitality, we look forward to providing a facility that welcomes one and all.

Theresa May has begun the process of Britain leaving the European Union. This raises the question of the rights of EU nationals presently living in Britain, who make a huge contribution to our society. The government has refused to guarantee these rights, saying it will wait until there is a deal involving British nationals who live in the rest of Europe. But people are not bargaining chips. The government’s attitude means terrible insecurity for EU nationals and their families. EU nationals who have come to live or work or study in Britain should have their rights guaranteed now —full rights, indefinitely. Anything else means that at least some people will be forcibly removed from Britain, families torn apart, valuable workers lost and there will be even more restrictions on those who are allowed to stay. Already any EU national applying for proof of residency must now show they have been living and working in Britain for the past five years. They are required to provide documents for every occasion they have left Britain in that period. Those who have not been working must reportedly show they took out comprehensive health insurance—a requirement that was little known until recently. The government’s refusal to grant workers’ rights is already hitting key services. Only 96 nurses joined the NHS from other European nations in December 2016 – a drop from 1,304 in July that year. This comes at a time when there are 24,000 nurse vacancies unfilled and the government’s withdrawal of bursaries for trainee nurses is making matters worse. The government must guarantee EU nationals full rights now. Initial signatories: Lord Peter Hain, David Lammy MP, Claude Moraes MEP, Julie Ward MEP, Ulrike Schmidt, Waltham Forest Amnesty Group, Dr Tommy Tomescu Alliance Against Romanian and Bulgarian discrimination, Weyman Bennett Stand Up To Racism Sabby Dhalu Stand Up To Racism, Salma Yacoob, anti-war activist Kevin Courtney NUT Gen Sec, Dave Ward CWU Gen Sec, Len McCluskey Unite, Roger Mckenzie Unison ass Gen Sec, Mick Cash RMT Gen Sec, Ronnie Draper BFAWU Gen Sec, Ian Hodson BFAWU Nat President, Rabbi Lee Wax, Dr Shazad Amin CEO MEND, Dr Lucia Pradella Freedom of Movement Campaign This statement is featured in today's Independent online and 30 March daily edition http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/letters/article-50-brexit-eu-nationals-rights-protected-guaranteed-letters-a7655796.html Like the Stand Up to Racism facebook page here https://www.facebook.com/events/400307423679253/ EU nationals are being used by the government as bargaining chips in "Brexit" negotiations, leaving them with an uncertain future. The government must confirm their right to stay in the UK with guaranteed rights now.

People will know how many hours they are working and how much wages they will receive, so they can budget efficiently

Makes me soooo cross, the Government supposedly give £530 per week to care for our elderly to private companies but only pay £60 per week to relatives that are willing to cover it, and now not enough places for the elderly that need it, pay higher rates to family that are willing to do the job thereby ensuring the best care for our loved ones...problem sorted !!!!

Companies like Amazon and the Agencies that supplies workers for these companies do not recognise the British Bank Holidays and their workers get exploited and are forced to work them on single pay unless its their natural rest days without getting any Bank Holiday benefits. Most British workers are being exploited and don't get any of the Bank Holiday benefits.

On the 1st of July 2017, Angus Council plan to commence the implementation of proposals which will see social care provision changed, services cut and privatised. ‎The number of staff responding to Community Alarm calls will be cut during the day, working hours will be cut, some staff will be forced to provide a car to undertake their duties and there will be approximately 170 job losses. All of this will impact on the most vulnerable members of our community. We believe that the evidence does not exist to support these plans or to implement them safely. We believe that private sector interest to provide social care in rural Angus just isn't there. Care for profit is wrong. We call on Angus Council and the Integrated Joint Board to halt these plans and to reassess this strategy. Cuts to vital care services will impact on the most vulnerable members of our community.

I’m calling for a change in the rules so that people with dementia are specifically eligible to apply for a Blue Badge, which means easier trips to the shop, the doctor’s or the hospital for dementia patients if they choose to apply. “I hope the Government will consider this change.” The final decision on who is eligible is up to local councils. But Government provides guidance can prove crucial in earmarking badges - and dementia is not on the list of criteria. Charities say some local authorities give blue badges to people with dementia while others enforce much tighter rules. Although the person with dementia may be able to walk the required distance that exempts them from being issued a Blue Badge the person has to be helped in and out of their vehicle, and guided, they can be unsteady on their feet and suffer dizziness/confusion as to where they are because of their dementia. This means that, e.g. they cannot be dropped off while a driver goes to park, because they are in danger from wandering off or walking into the road. Campaigners say the disease can be as mentally and often physically debilitating as other illnesses. The number of people with dementia is set to rise from 850,000 this year to over two million by 2051. Alzheimer’s Society national campaigns manager Sam Gould said: “Many people with dementia gradually lose their ability to walk and perform simple tasks as their condition progresses. “This means activities that many of us take for granted, like visiting the shops or attending GP appointments, can become physically challenging and make some journeys daunting. “We support the call for people with dementia to be able to access the Blue Badge scheme, as this could mean that more people with dementia are able to continue doing the things they enjoy and maintain their independence for longer.”

Self employed people generally work over 50 hours a week - many work considerably longer hours. They get no job security or holiday allowance. Their salary is not paid if they are sick and yet they contribute hugely to the nation's wealth. Many self employed people manage all aspects of their business from the PR, to office admin, to ensuring that they keep up to date with H&S, keeping accounts etc as well as delivering the core nature of their business. A three monthly submission process of tax return would create an unacceptably huge administrative burden on self employed people. It would stifle our collective ability to deliver our core business. It would discourage entrepreneurialism. In terms of the arts and third sector self-employment - it would add further administrative duress to an already ailing and underfunded landscape.