Plans for heavy cuts to services for disabled adults in Devon have been put on hold after a charity threatened legal action.
Devon County Council wanted to shut down most of its disability day and respite services and close three drop-in centres. It was part of an effort to cut £30m from its adult care budget.
Bob Gaiger, who is fighting cuts to disability services in Devon, with daughter Laura
But after Exeter and District Mencap Society threatened a judicial review, the council has halted a consultation period on the cuts.
Time to ‘listen’
Now the authority says it stopped the consultation to give itself more time to “listen and evaluate” concerns raised by Mencap, staff, unions and carers.
Bob Gaiger is a trustee of Exeter and District Mencap Society.
With wife Eileen, 69, Gaiger relies on respite for their 39-year-old daughter, Laura. She has a learning disability, mild cerebral palsy and is partially deaf and partially sighted.
Overnight respite
The Gaigers get 76 nights per year of overnight respite for Laura at Pine Park House, in Honiton, Devon.
Pine Park House is one of the council’s in-house services that were under threat from the planned cuts.
Retired media manager Gaiger, 71, said Laura “loves the staff there”.
He added that the centre gives him and his wife a much-needed break.
He said: “We feel the benefit of Laura having her respite nights.
“It presents a completely different world to her and it allows us to do things that most people, and particularly most retired people, take for granted.”
Hope for the council to scrap cuts
Gaiger said following the council’s decision to halt the consultation, he hopes they will now “cancel their distressing proposals for adult, day and respite services”.
A council spokesperson added that Mencap’s response to its consultation would “help inform the content of any future proposal”.
Related:
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- Parents fight council’s respite cuts
- Social workers ‘beg’ for respite
- Family take action over respite closure
Published: 17 April 2023
