Protesters gather at County Hall to voice their anger at £250,000 cuts of support for people with disabilities

As of September 30, West Sussex County Council will end its contract with disability advocacy charity Impact Initiatives, which each year helps more than 450 vulnerable people with learning disabilities, autism, physical disabilities, sensory disabilities and acquired brain injury.

Some of their number met up on Tuesday (September 12) to make it perfectly clear to the council what they thought of the decision and to hand over a petition from more than 870 like-minded people. People heading for County Hall were greeted with cries of ‘stop ignoring us’, ‘support us’ and ‘we’re people like you’ from the protesters, whose number included those with mobility and developmental issues.

Lisa Benson, who has two sons with autism, said the £250,000 was used to run six advocacy groups – four for people with learning disabilities and two for those with autism. She added: “These people are not only vulnerable but also isolated from the community.

“I know personally, that without these groups many of our members would have no friends, no support and wouldn’t leave their homes. For some it is their only lifeline and as a parent there is nothing more heartbreaking in this world than witnessing your children be bullied and friendless.

“These people deserve to have a small amount of joy and a place where they feel they belong.”

One service-user, Vicky, explained that 12 hours of support each week was needed to help with ‘navigating all the pathways which are really hard to understand’.

This could include things such as accessing housing, using food-banks or asking for extra care and support.

Daniel – known as Mr D – explained how the various groups, such as the Bognor and Chichester Voice, helped him and others to ‘stick up for other people with learning difficulties’.

As for the county council, Mr D said: “I suppose they’ve got to find cuts but it’s not right to cut the wrong people.”

While the protesters called for councillors – specifically Amanda Jupp, cabinet member for adults services – to come out of County Hall to speak to them, they were largely unlucky.

While members of the cabinet gathered inside, preparing for a meeting, Tony Kershaw, director of law and assurance, was given the task of accepting the petition.

The cabinet meeting covered the council’s performance and resources for the first quarter of 2023/24.

At the end of June, a net overspend of £11.8m was forecast, with adults services overspending by £2m.

Leader Paul Marshall told the meeting that spending would be prioritised to the four priorities in the Council Plan.

These are: keeping people safe from vulnerable situations, a sustainable and prosperous economy, helping people and communities to fulfil their potential, and making the best use of resources.

He added: “We will prioritise our spending to those people who need it most.

“That might impact some of those peripheral areas that we would like to do service deliveries on.

“But we have to be realistic and recognise there is a cost of living crisis out there that is going to continue and we’ve got to be mindful what we ask out businesses and residents to pay for in contributing to these services.”

One councillor who did attend the protest was Jess Brown-Fuller, who represents Midhurst for the Liberal Democrats on Chichester District Council.

Ms Brown-Fuller, who is also a Parliamentary candidate for the Chichester constituency, said: “West Sussex County Council have quietly cut the services of those most vulnerable in our community with no consultation and insufficient warning.

“The stark reality for the 450 users of Impact advocacy across Chichester and Bognor is that they are once again being left high and dry without the services and support they need.

“The Liberal Democrats will continue to fight for all members of our communities who are negatively impacted by Tory cuts.”

In a statement issued after the protest, Amanda Jupp said: “I appreciate that it has been an extremely difficult time for many people following the news that the contract with Impact Initiatives will cease on September 30.

“I would like to reassure everyone involved that we will ensure there is ongoing advocacy support for those who need it, especially people who have substantial difficulty in exercising choice or representing their own interests due to a disability, health condition or communication difficulty, or where processes are particularly complex to navigate.

“We will continue to work with those affected, as well as Impact Initiatives, to make sure no-one is left without the appropriate level of support, in line with our commitment to support people to live independently and fulfil their potential.

“Working closely with the user groups and their representatives, we have considered each element of the support the contract currently provides in order to develop alternative provision options.

“These will include one-to-one support from a social worker, accessing support from PohWER, the separate Sussex-wide advocacy contract, as well as from other services already available, such as Citizens Advice.”