Parents of disabled children who use The Grange residential home, together with Council trade unionists lobbied Labour Party councillors and Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett this morning prior to a meeting to rubber stamp £15.8million of cuts*.
During discussions outside the Civic Centre, Dennett appeared to acknowledge that there could be a way forward to re-think cuts to The Grange and Regulatory Services, following more facts coming to light.
"The aim this morning is to bring the lobbying efforts we have made over the last couple of weeks to a culmination and hope that the councillors, when they go in today will listen to the views of staff, will listen to the views of parents and service users, and will actually reconsider some of the proposals" said Salford City UNISON Branch Secretary Steven North
"I remain optimistic that they will do the right thing as much as I can but I'm not going to be naïve either" he added "Based on previous years, we've not seen them make huge changes as a result of these lobbies. What we have been able to do this year which is different than in the past is that we've provided a fully costed alternative budget. We've shown that it can be paid for.
"We've shown that the money is there in the general fund reserves, well above the minimum threshold to be able to pay for these services to remain in place, and we hope they will listen to that" he explained "We have responded in the way we've needed to, we've responded responsively and productively. We've put forward fully costed proposals; there is no excuse for them not to listen to what we've said."
It is now hoped that cuts to The Grange and Regulatory Services will be deferred pending further discussions.
Meanwhile, Chris Barton, father of Rachel who has been staying at The Grange for around two and a half years, attended the lobby...
"She is totally changed and she gets such fantastic care support there" he said "I always call it a home full of mums, they are not just staff they are all like proper mums.
"The Council have told us they will get the same amount of care but we have our doubts because we know what she gets at the Grange and she needs stability" he added "We think it's a risk. It would be a disruption. She's 15 so she can only stay there for two more years. We don't want to move her now and then have to move her again in two years time.
"We just want them to keep The Grange open" he explained "As I said to Councillor Stone and Sharon Hubber yesterday, the children in there are Salford residents but even though the Council know that The Grange is a good place they are willing to close it. It is the only one in Salford and they should be proud of it and be advertising that. It gets a fantastic Ofsted rating every year but it is just disappointing that they want to make the cuts in this way.
"I don't want them to say `We won't close The Grange but we will close someone else's place'; we don't want them to do something that will have the same impact on other children's families" he insisted "We just want them to think twice about closing the only residential care home in Salford for disabled children. They should visit the place to see for themselves the complex needs these children have got and the support they get..."
* For a full background on all the cuts and the fight to save The Grange see previous Salford Star articles –click here and click here and click here and click here
Words and photos by Steven Speed
Update: 23rd February - Mayor announces an extra £300,000 to clean streets while cutting £300,000 from The Grange - click here
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