| Home | Bookmark | Tell | Active petitions in over 75 countries | Follow GoPetition |
Petition Tag - vulnerable
1. Review Imminent Threat to Sheltered Housing Funding 
The proposed cuts to the 'Supporting People' funding for A2Dominion Sheltered Housing sites within the borough will adversly affect the physical, mental and practical support for the elderly and vulnerable residents resulting in the loss of their Sheltered Housing officer (Warden).
The residents currently believe that their well-being, safety on site, site management (housing stock), mental and physical health are greatly cared for under scheme as it currently stands. That the Care Line system is not adequate to replace this, that the quality of support will diminish rapidly and be another faceless representation of community care.
The consultation deadline is 31 October 2011 so this is URGENT please. The council must receive our views so you can sign this petition and /or write to Representations, Supporting People Team, Third Floor Orange, Perceval House, Uxbridge Road,Ealing,London W5 2HL or by e-mail:spteam@ealing.gov.uk.
THANK YOU, we really need and value your help.
2. Birmingham Supports Justice For All
The Justice For All campaign has been set up to cease the erosion of everyday people's right to free legal advice.
With the proposed cuts to legal aid and other associated funds free advice will become a thing of the past. We aim to stop this by voicing our dissent at a local and national level.
Please sign our petition to support the provision of free legal advice for all the people of Birmingham.
This is a continuation of our petition submitted to Brighton and Hove City Council at their Full Council meeting on 24 March 2011 - total signatures at that point were 835.
This petition is part and parcel of a campaign to persuade the council that there are compelling and justifiable grounds on which to carry out a complete review of the road layout and management in and around the Hollingdean Dip.
Anecdotal evidence shows that there have been many near misses over a number of years as vehicles race through the Dip without regard for the safety of pedestrians many of whom are school children walking to Hertford Infants School.
The residents on this campaign are of the view (clearly expressed at Full Council) that a holistic approach is essential so that current problems relating to speeding, parking on corners and double yellow lines and a dangerous bus stop configuration are dealt with and that, most essentially, priority is given to pedestrians over vehicles.
4. Protect Devon Homelessness Services from dangerous cuts
Devon County Council receives a government grant (called Supporting People) to support vulnerable people. This includes helping to prevent homelessness, as well as helping homeless people get off the streets and have a better future.
This grant has only been cut by around 12%, but DCC intends to cut services supporting people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness (mostly run by local charities) by up to 40%! This is extraordinary disproportionate and against instructions by government Ministers.
Vulnerable people WILL lose their homes as a result of these cuts, which take effect in April 2011. Young people WILL be forced to stay in abusive and unsafe situations because there will be nowhere else to go. Supported housing projects helping people get back on their feet WILL be closed or dramatically cut back their services.
This will create untold human misery to people whose lives are already difficult enough.
But even if you have no heart, these cuts make no economic sense. If homeless people are deprived of housing and support, their lives will become more chaotic. Crime will go up. Antisocial behaviour will go up. Drug and alcohol misuse will go up. Mental health problems and hospitalisations will go up. A&E admissions will go up. More people will be in prison.
The list of consequences of these badly thought out plans goes on, and every one creates problems for the wider community and extra costs to the taxpayer. These cuts will COST money, lots of money, not save it.
All this will happen unless we, the voting public, make our views known. So join this cause, and let's tell DCC councillors what their voters think.
Positions
1.These are difficult times. But, as DCC's leader has said, we have to protect the most vulnerable at this time. This includes those at risk of homelessness
2.£1 spent on housing support saves over £2 in the long run through reduced crime and antisocial behaviour and improved physical and mental health
3.Central Government has only cut Devon's funding by 12%. It is grossly unfair to target homeless people with cuts of up to 40%
5. Stop Budget Cuts For Devon's Vulnerable People
ADVA - Against Domestic Violence and Abuse – was set up in November 2002 to bring together the statutory and voluntary agencies within the county to tackle the problem of domestic violence. They help thousands of women and children every year escape violent and life-threatening situations.
Devon County Council proposes to cut ADVA’s budget by 100% as of April 2011.
If these cuts are endorsed, emerging victims may go unidentified and recovering victims may be left without support.
1 in 4 women will be a victim of Domestic Violence in their lifetime – many of these on a number of occasions. One incident of Domestic Violence is reported to the police every minute. (Women's Aid)
This cut will continue to make Domestic Violence a hidden crime.
6. Protect Reading's elderly and vulnerable people
The new Conservative and Lib Dem administration in Reading have announced plans to review the eligibility criteria for the care they provide to elderly and vulnerable people such as those with learning difficulties. Elsewhere in Berkshire where this has happened thousands of people have lost much needed services.
The Local Green Party believes that the cuts will affect thousands of Reading families who rely on these services to support them in living their day to day lives and it is essential that we fight to keep these services.
Recent local news articles on the proposed cuts can be found on line by following the links below.
http://tinyurl.com/32hvof5
http://tinyurl.com/33ar6mq
If you or anyone you know are concerned about how these cuts might affect you, please have your say by signing the petition.
If you would like to get more involved in campaigning against these cuts then please get in touch with Rob White or Melanie Eastwood through the Reading Green party website.
7. Stop the Proposed Changes to ESA
New even harsher plans have been proposed for the Employment and Support Allowance in the UK. These will cause considerably more hardship for already vulnerable and disabled claimants. For more details go to http://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk.
We successfully fought to stop the termination of the Disability Living Allowance and we can also fight to stop these new ESA proposals. This petition is part of the campaign to prevent these new proposals from passing into law.
There are many reasons why video recording ALL witnesses statements would be beneficial to all concerned and remove the element of doubt as to whether or not someone said what it is reported they have in their statements. In this day and age with even traffic wardens using digital cameras on their hats to record events, there is no justifiable reason as to why it shouldn't be the case.
However the case for video recording witness statements is fundamentally more compelling with regard to the most precious people in our population, our children. Not only is it important to be accurate over what is said and not said, but the manner in which comments are made by both child and interviewer alike. With both prosecution and defence counsel in possession of such a recording no further doubt could remain as to the circumstances in which child evidence is acquired. I feel it is important to note that this is not simply an opinion of my own, but any of you who have read the guidelines on child witnesses will also be aware that the need to have video recordings of child & other vulnerable witnesses is covered within the report.
For me this means that these measures should already be in place, guidelines do not exist for no reason and it should not be at the whim of an investigating officer as to whether they are complied with or not, they should be mandatory and the statement in it's entirety inadmissible should the protocol not be followed to the letter. Our children deserve that they are treated properly and video recordings will ensure that they are, not only of the statement itself but of all required phases in the procedure that are necessary to ensure their well-being is preserved. This would include recording the planning phase which is required before any interview even takes place to ensure that views expressed by all professionals concerned with a minors best interests are noted and adhered to. After all, if nothing untoward is going on, why would anyone object? These video's could then also be admitted in court rather than subjecting the child to further unnecessary stress if no further questions are necessary.
9. Do not withdraw funding for the homeless
Aberdeen City Council intends to cut c£900,000 from the grants to the Cyrenians as part of their overall £27m cuts to services in the city in 2008 - 2009.
The Cyrenians aim is to meet the needs of people who are homeless, at risk of homelessness or affected by homelessness in any way. We to listen to their difficulties, understand their needs, share their burden, provide support and ultimately find permanent solutions for their problems.
Over the last 40 years the range of services offered by the Cyrenians has grown considerably. Originally just providing food and shelter, the services in 2008 aim to meet all the varying needs of people affected by homelessness in Aberdeen and the surrounding area.
These services focus on:
• Prevention of homelessness - through advice, information and education programmes
• Alleviation of homelessness – at our day centre and in 84 places short-term accommodation
• Rehabilitation – tackling underlying issues such as alcohol, drugs, mental health and abuse
• Resettlement – practical help to gain employment, to learn the skills needed to live in the community and to sustain a tenancy
The consequenses of these cuts will mean the CLOSURE of 4 services for homeless people in the city including 3 residential rehabilitation homes.
Homelessness in Aberdeen rose by over 40% between 2004 – 2007 (2,300 in 2007) and is continuing to rise
The extension of “priority need” to include young people up to 25 will place an additional burden on services
There is not enough temporary accommodation in the city to meet current needs
The waiting time to get into a tenancy has increased as the voids in Council housing have decreased
Homeless people currently have to wait over 3 weeks to be seen
£250,000 put aside for the past two years for an advice service that could prevent homelessness is still not spent
Grampian has been criticised for its long waiting list for those trying to get off drugs and homelessness services such as The Cyrenians are vital to providing the wraparound services that support people with substance misuse problems
A planned review of homelessness services keeps getting put off
YET
Major cuts are planned in homelessness services
10. Petition to stop the abuse of patients who are under the care of Psychiatrists/Psychotherapists
This petition has emerged as a consequence of the multiplicity of cases involving psychiatrists, psychotherapists and counsellors who have subjected their patients to sexual, psychological, emotional, exploitative and other forms of abuse.
The position of such practitioners has often meant that these people are often regarded as being beyond reproach by the governing and regulatory bodies under which they work.
People who have the courage to submit complaints are either marginalised, stigmatised or blamed in an attempt to protect both the reputation and livelihood of the practitioner. This has to stop!
