My Council wants to axe the buses that take disabled teens to school and college- please help!

[BitOfFun]

We parents have set up a petition to let people know what they're up to and ask them to reconsider. These cuts will have a DEVASTATING impact on the kids who use this service.

The link asks that you be a Sefton resident, but it actually isn't essential: after all, we all know families and friends (me, for a start ) who will be affected if these cuts go ahead. And once one council gets away with it, you can be sure others will follow. Conversely, if one group of parents can show that we won't go down without a fight, it makes it harder for councils in other boroughs to attack similar services.

Please please sign and share on social media if possible.

thanks

I'm tempted, Keema. Especially if they read the risible "consultation" document aimed at parents.

Not once do they come straight out and admit what they're up to. Instead, they've stuffed it full of questions like "Do you agree the Council should be trying to encourage disabled young people to be more independent?"

It's like something out of 1984.

Excellent point, Boulevard, thank you.

signed

fuckers

and fuckers in central govt. too who have cut local council funding through the bone and into the marrow

bet they get in again in may though

Do you agree the council should be trying to encourage disabled young people to be more independent by taking them like offenders on licence?

Do you agree the council should be trying to encourage disabled young people to be more independent by tagging them they cattle off to market?

Please read my posts : I see council budgets as part of my work

the money has been removed from the District Council budgets
lateral thinking is the only way to reinstate bus services

only in London are buses still nationalised - and they work

bottom up : do you live in a parish? talk to the parish council and get them on the case ...

Quite, Moving.

Here's a link to the "consultation" document. It makes my blood boil.

If anyone reading IS a Sefton resident, I'd strongly encourage you to complete it- it's open to the whole community, although many of the questions don't make that clear. Obviously, don't fall for supporting their ridiculous statements- you have to reply counter-intuitively and then tell them in the comment spaces what cowardly shitheads they are for trying to get turkeys to vote for Christmas.

I am listening, TalkinPeace- I'll definitely look into that suggestion, thanks.

'TBH the best outcome is NOT to lobby upwards, but to talk to your Parish council if you have one and get a Community bus started ..... it can be done within a term ....'

talkinpeace - surely you aren't suggesting that disabled children sit at home for a term while this goes on?

Princess - I'm sorry that it's already happened in your area. It's shameful the way in which cuts continue to disproportionately the people who need help the most.

For example, in response to Q10, where they ask "Do you think we've missed anything? If so, tell us here", I have replied:

I think that by creating a set of inappropriately-worded questions, you have managed to insult and offend the very people who provide most of the care and do the most to encourage independence among our young people with special educational needs.

That is on top of causing alarm and distress and adding to the burden of what is inevitably already a challenging situation for the parents and carers of these young people.

To sacrifice the health, well-being and physical safety of some of our most vulnerable teenagers in order to shave a few pounds off the budget (which, frankly, is unlikely to be effective after the knock-on effects of the individual assessments, sham "consultations" and meaningless gimmicky gadgets and phone apps etc)...well...it beggars belief. It is nothing short of disgraceful.

I cannot conceive that those who go into public service by working at Sefton Council -whom I believe are good people who work hard for our community- can genuinely think that cutting the post-16 Transport service will lead to anything other than stress, misery and further hardship in the lives of our teenagers with disabilities. By being forced to couch these service cuts in terms of "promoting independence", this "consultation" insults their intelligence and compromises their integrity as much as it damages the educational opportunities and threatens the safety and well-being of the young people in our care.

iniac
Come to Hampshire.
The buses were cut with 2 weeks notice.
No car, no college. Full stop.
Several villages have no public transport at all
utterly legal

I have signed ( I live in Liverpool) but don't know how to share on Facebook?

talkin peace

I'm beyond horrified.

You've probably already done this, but local Facebook page(s)?
And Twitter of course... Our local area has a campaign taking off (against closing the swimming pool) that I think is gaining some traction just through a few dedicated folks using social media and leafletting in the town square.

You could set up a stand somewhere busy with your petition? (not sure how you go about that legally TBH)

Thanks, Soon. There's a button on the Change.org page to share to facebook.

Or, once you are on the link to the petition, you can copy and paste the address in the bar to your status. It really helps if you tag particular friends, and maybe add a sentence before the link saying why you'd like people to sign

How can independent SS schools possibly stay open if transport is cut?

We got 300 signatures locally by setting up a stall in Crosby village today, SorryToDisturbYou. The bizzies left us alone .

We've got a facebook page too, I'll link it...

I have to be careful not to out myself here
BUT
do not waste your time with petitions, lobbing, social media, any of that shit
there is no money to reinstate with
put ALL of your efforts into community buses / college buses / locally controlled buses

take it out of the hands of First / stagecoach and get the colleges / local people to make it work FOR YOU
and then the back office costs are minimised

really sorry for being a bit chippy before talkinnpeace my ds is in SS so I'm feeling emotional! I can see that you're one of the good guys!

That's interesting, TalkinPeace. I'd love to know where they are finding the money to enrich private companies to produce sham consultation documents etc in that case. And to fight the Judicial Review will will doubtless be coming their way if they do press ahead with this.

Facebook page to like and receive updates and information.

iniac
no hassle at all on my end

its an offensive state of affairs
remember that if your child is in a school their transport is guaranteed

its the colleges that are stuffed
and the rest of the population

It is a local bus company that Sefton use, btw. And I know the staff (drivers and escorts) are very concerned about the impact these cuts will have on jobs.

TalkinPeace I'm not clear - how do you suggest they get the buses running without council money? Volunteers/ co-operative or something?

(I am down south where the councils still have enough money to do stuff if their arses are sufficiently kicked, I appreciate this may not be the case elsewhere so interested to know how you can work around.)