Autistic children's project - 'short term fix' not the answer
4 January 2007
Brighton and Hove’s Green councillors are opposing the termination of a contract for support services for severely autistic children supplied by National Children’s Homes at the Palmeira Project in Hove.
At a special meeting today of the city council’s Children Families and Schools Committee (Thursday 4 January) councillors will be asked to approve plans to close the Palmeira Project.
The autistic children would be transferred to a council-owned facility at Drove Road, Portslade.
In 2001 the High Court ruled the Project should continue to provide care until the five children living there reached the age of 18, or left school, whichever was the later, and overturned an earlier council decision to close the project down.
The fifth of the original ‘Palmeira Five’ is due to leave the project shortly.
Green Party Convenor Cllr Keith Taylor, who played a major part in supporting the Palmeira families in the period leading up to the court ruling in 2001, said, "Once again the council is making the mistake of closing down the Palmeira service simply because it’s very expensive.
"But they have failed to consider the emerging needs of the city’s severely autistic children.
"Council officers are telling us that the children being cared for at Palmeira have lower level needs that can be delivered more cheaply at other council-owned facilities.
"But we are not being told the likely level of autistic needs over the next five or ten years.
"I would not want to see very disabled children separated from their families by being sent out of the city because there’s no longer a local facility.
"I would like to see a proper, longer term assessment of needs before we allow the Palmeira Project expertise and experience disappear.
“This whole affair has been bungled and confused. Originally councillors were told closing the project would save £363,000, but now it seems the saving is £81,000.
“While that’s a lot of money, it needs to be seen in proportion to the children’s individual care packages, which at this level can cost anything between £50,000 - £75,000 a year.
“I will be suggesting the committee seeks greater information before making any decisions which, while they won’t affect a great number of people, could have an immense impact on those families who benefit from the service.”
Notes to editors:
For further information contact Geoffery Bowden Green Party Press Officer on 07958 682 683.[ENDS]
