STOP THE CALLOUS CUTS TO WEST SUSSEX SOCIAL CARE SERVICES

We the undersigned deplore the completely unacceptable and damaging cuts to council services planned by West Sussex County Council for the budget years 2021-22 and 2022-23 to meet its multi-million pound budget gap. These sweeping cuts will lead to devastating consequences for many people who live and work in West Sussex. They include:

• the proposed closure of 32 of our vital children and family centres.
• the closure of residential services for older vulnerable people.
• significant cutbacks to adult social care including day services.

These cruel cuts will be a hammer blow to our most vulnerable adults (including physically- and learning-disabled adults and to older people). They will also impact our children, young people and families who need support the most in our already cut-damaged communities.

For example, people with learning disabilities who have been particularly badly affected by Covid-19 are up to six times more likely to die as a result due to the multiple disadvantages they already face (Public Health England, Nov 2020). These WSCC proposals will only make matters worse.

We call on West Sussex County Council to:

• Re-double their efforts to lobby West Sussex MPs and central government for the protection of public services from unnecessary and damaging cuts, particularly at this time.
• Include the people who will be affected by these cuts in their lobbying efforts.
• Review its expenditure and policy on relocation allowances for executive staff in light of recent scandals and wastefulness of taxpayer’s money.
• Review its failed budget management strategy of 2010-20 with a view to learn lessons from its previous ideological and short-term decisions of saving money by cutting services.
• Put a hold on all cuts for 2021-22, instead formulating a strategy to use reserves and borrowing to plug the gap caused by central government under-funding.

Please sign this petition to stop the proposed cuts to West Sussex Social Care Services.