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| Cllr Jasbir Anand (Labour, Southall Green) |
ADC is a day centre for adults with a physical disability or sensory impairment and according to the many service users that have passed through it's gates has been a 'life saver' in many ways thanks to the dedication and skill of it's staff team and the friendship that is generated amongst the close knit group of service users.
Cllr Anand was greeted at the centre's gates by many of the centre's service users holding up banners, some from their wheelchairs. They had been instructed not to place them on council property. They chanted slogans including "hands off our centre" and "no cuts to frontline services".
Service users, carers, staff and concerned people from the local community packed the hall to question and listen to Cllr Anand. Service user group chairperson Val Garrard read out a series of questions that other users had asked her to put forward. Cllr Anand was reprimanded for ducking several questions.
Cllr Anand said that the "Private and voluntary sector would do a better job of providing the service they require than Albert Dane Centre staff." This was met by gasps from the staff and service users and the audience in general.
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| Service Users Making Their Views Clear |
The local pastor put forward a financial proposal to keep the centre open. He spoke of the myth that the voluntary sector would have capacity to cope with the demand and said that the councillor needed to be more honest. To this Cllr Anand shouted at him and said: "Don't you dare call me a liar. You have attended my surgeries in the past. I have tried to help you out. I won't help you anymore."
Cllr Anand's overly aggressive behaviour was met by a tirade of anger from users who spoke passionately about their need for the service.
Having had my hand up for 40 minutes, service users forced the council official who was chairing to let me speak. However, Cllr Anand heckled and said "I'm not interested in talking to the unions" while refusing to answer my question.
Cllr Anand's apparent contempt for staff, users and carers didn't end there. She was unfazed by the hostile reaction from the crowd and defiantly replied: "I own half of Southall. I'm very popular. I got voted in so at least a few people must like me."
This arrogant and offensive reaction shows how much Ealing Council officials really care about the service users...
LINKS
You can email your protests directly to Cllr Jasbir Anand here at jasbir.anand@ealing.gov.uk Let's fill her inbox...
You can also email Stephen Day who is the director of Adult Social Services days@ealing.gov.uk or even give him a call on 020 8825 9315
Martin Smith is the Chief Executive of Ealing Council and would be delighted I am sure to hear of Cllr Anand's behaviour, he has two email's with which you can contact him on smithm@ealing.gov.uk or chiefexecutive@ealing.gov.uk
Virendra Sharma is the Labour MP for Ealing Southall constituency sharmav@parliament.uk
Steve Pound is the genial MP for the neighbouring constituency of Ealing North stevepoundmp@parliament.uk
The Ealing Learning Disability Partnership Board is a group charged with defending the rights of service users in the borough and ensuring they get good services. You can fill out a contact form with your concerns about proposed closures at http://www.openupealing.net/form.aspx?page=12846
thanks x
with thanks to Ealing S.P.
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