50 signatures reached
To: Nusrat Ghani, Maria Caulfied, Stephen Lloyd, Huw Merriman, Amber Rudd
East Sussex MPs: Stand up for Social Care
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We are asking our East Sussex MPs to stand up for vulnerable people in East Sussex by lobbying central government for an increase in social care funding across the county.
Why is this important?
Social care for children and vulnerable adults in East Sussex is in crisis. East Sussex County Council must reduce services to a bare-bones 'core offer' after being forced to make savings of £129million in the last eight years. The Council now faces a £46m budget deficit within three years. The impact of these savings is having a huge negative impact on the lives of adults and children with extra needs - and their families:
-after school, weekend and holiday clubs for children and young people with disabilities are being cut, leaving families exhausted. Read Scott's story here: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/aug/22/respite-care-families-of-disabled-children-at-breaking-point
-Day centres for older people and people with disabilities have earmarked for closure. Two day centres, in Bexhill and in Hastings run by SCDA are due to close; the Phoenix Centre in Lewes has only been saved because an alternative provider could not be found in the surrounding area: https://www.hastingsobserver.co.uk/news/closure-confirmed-for-day-centres-for-elderly-and-disabled-in-hastings-and-bexhill-1-8548285
-Care for the Carers' budget has been cut by £59,000, stripping away support for family and friends carers: https://www.cftc.org.uk/Blogs/news/east-sussex-county-council-budget-cuts
-ESCC will cut preventative services for children (Early Help); reduce the amount of training offered to social workers; reduce the amount of support for children with special educational needs (SEN); stop subsidising meals in the community:
https://democracy.eastsussex.gov.uk/documents/s22500/Item%205%20-%20RPPR%20and%20Appendix%201.pdf
