Fight to get Alex post-16 schooling at Doucecroft School
6:00pm Wednesday 23rd May 2012 in News By James Calnan
A MUM is to take school bosses to a tribunal in a bid to win her autistic son the education she believes he needs.
Essex County Council wants to send Alex Hacon, 16, to Lexden Springs School in Halstead Road, Colchester, from this September.
Suzanne Hacon, from Copford, says Alex needs residential education at Doucecroft School, which caters for youngsters with autism at bases in Eight Ash Green and Kelvedon.
She believes Essex County Council has chosen Lexden Springs because it is the cheaper option.
She is preparing for a tribunal hearing in July, where she hopes the decision will be overturned.
Suzanne, 43, said: “They are limiting his outlook by saying that’s the school we have got, that’s the school he’s going to.
“Doucecroft is specifically designed for autistic children, and they understand far better the needs of the child.
“I don’t think their restrictions with funds should dictate Alex’s outlook.
“They’re focused on money, whereas we’re focused on people.”
Alex, who has a 13-year-old sister Amelia, has been at Market Fields School in Elmstead Market, since being diagnosed with autism aged four.
The family learned in February Essex County Council wanted Alex to have further education at Lexden Springs for three years from September.
Suzanne believes Alex, who was recently also diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and Tourette’s syndrome, is moving towards the high end of the autistic spectrum and needs round-the-clock support with one-to-one teaching.
Police staff worker Suzanne said: “Because of Alex’s size, he needs constant supervision. He has no understanding of danger and he’s quite difficult to manage in places where there are a lot of people.
“Having been to both schools we came to the conclusion he needs to focus on skills – the things he is going to need in order to create some kind of independent living for himself.
“Twenty four-hour provision is what he really needs in order to learn these skills.
“He can’t learn to cook breakfast, make his bed or do his washing in six hours during the day.”
A judge from the Courts and Tribunals service will hear witnesses from Essex County Council and those who support the Hacons on July 9, before making a ruling.
Suzanne said if it was not in her favour she would take it further.
She said: “I want what’s best for Alex and I don’t see why he should be penalised.”
Source: www.essexcountystandard.co.uk
Essex fire crews to vote on strike action - thurrockgazette.co.uk
Essex fire crews to vote on strike action
12:42pm Wednesday 23rd May 2012 in News By Matt Abbott
THE Chief Fire Officer in Essex has urged firefighters to think carefully before they cast their vote in a ballot over strike action.
Firefighters across Essex are to vote on potential strike action from today as ballot papers are sent out.
By law, crews cannot strike before June 20, seven days after the ballot closes but industrial action could be taken on or soon after this date.
The Essex Fire Brigade Union says the ballot is necessary because the fire authority is imposing changes whilst also planning further cuts.
If proposed cuts to crews are implemented, it would mean that since 2008, one in five frontline fire crews have been cut.
Firefighter response times in Essex are already down one minute on the national average since 2008 and Essex FBU is warning that response times might increase again with the next wave of budget cuts.
In Thurrock, a wholetime specialist rescue crew has already been removed from Grays since 2008 and Del Godfrey-Shaw is concerned that there could be more cuts in the future.
Mr Godfrey Shaw, a firefighter at the Grays station and regional official for the FBU said: “We can’t specifically say where job cuts will be. It could be any where where managment may reduce watch.
“That could be here in Thurrock, it could be in Tendring it could be anywhere. We don’t know.
“There is lots of uncertainty and lots of frustration amongst firefighters here.”
The FBU say that whilst there have been cuts to front line fire crews, millions of pounds of tax payers money is being spent on expansion of the headquarters.
In a short video to firefighters, David Johnson, the Essex Fire Brigade chief officer called potential strike action “unfair on communities we serve”. He said: “We are a very good fire rescue service with some of the best firefighters and best equipment in the world.
“I need you to work with me to keep that going. We are ready to sit down and talk to to the FBU to resolve this dispute.
“I would urge you to support us in that.”
Mike Rogers, FBU brigade secretary said: “Essex fire crews are furious at what is going on and will be giving their verdict on cuts and imposed changes.
“Managers need to get their heads out of the sand and realise the strength of feeling.
“There is still time enough to resolve the issues between us and we are now asking the Chair to the Fire Authority to use his good offices to remove the barriers to serious talks getting underway.”
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Source: www.thurrockgazette.co.uk
Wainwright puts Essex in a spin - ECB
Source: www.ecb.co.uk
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