LOCAL families are campaigning to save vital services for young children with severe medical conditions in the Wellington area and across Somerset.

There is renewed hope following a partial victory in a meeting at County Hall last Friday when councillors unanimously backed a call to halt the pro- posed redundancies until further consultations had taken place. The scruti- ny committee did not have the power to implement the decision but there was hope that senior officers and councillors would support a pause

The proposals that were being implemented would see staff, who work with some of the most vulnerable young children, made redundant. They work with individual children who have complex needs including visual and hearing needs, ensuring that they can attend mainstream schools. This prevents the children having to be placed in specialist set- tings that are extremely expensive and goes against the national policy of inclusion. The proposed cuts had been discussed and started to be implemented without any consultation with parents, schools and most importantly the children themselves.

For the full story, see this week’s Wellington Weekly News.