Council forced to U-turn on cuts to deaf children's services
Janaki Mahadevan
Friday, September 9, 2011
Stoke-on-Trent council has made a U-turn on plans to cut services for deaf children following a High Court challenge by the National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS).
The council was originally going to reduce the number of specialist teachers for the 200 deaf children in the authority from six to three, as part of £187,000 worth of cuts to the special needs service.
NDCS had applied to the High Court for a judicial review into the cuts, which were due to come into effect at the beginning of this month. Last month, the High Court temporarily stopped the council from imposing any changes to the service, while it considered whether to give the go-ahead to a judicial review.
Stoke-on-Trent has now said it wishes to avoid a legal challenge and understands the arguments put forward by NDCS, and has therefore decided to retain four specialist teaching posts.
Debra Gratton, cabinet member for children’s services, said: "This year’s budget was the toughest the council has ever had to deliver, and the authority was forced to face an unprecedented level of savings.
"This meant that the council had to go back to the drawing board and look fundamentally at the way it delivers all services across the authority. The decision was taken at full council to support proposals to make savings in the provision of services for deaf children. Like with all the spending cuts, this was a very difficult decision to take.
"But the welfare and education of all the city’s children is, and always will be, very important. We have listened to the arguments made by NDCS, and we have listened to parents, children and teachers.
"The council is also mindful that the legal challenge could prove costly; this is taxpayers’ money which could much more productively be spent delivering public services than being eaten up in the law courts."
NDCS director of policy Brian Gale said he was pleased with the decision, but that it should not have taken a legal challenge to stop the cuts.
"NDCS used legal action as a last resort because the council ignored the concerns of parents for almost a year," he said. "It should not be necessary to take legal action to ensure the voices of parents are heard. We are pleased that the Council is now willing to work alongside NDCS and parents in Stoke to ensure that deaf children reach their full potential.
"It’s crucial that parents across the UK contact us if they experience any reduction in the service their deaf child receives. We can support them, using legal means if necessary, in ensuring that councils fulfill their duty to provide the support deaf children need to learn."
