6 April, 2017

MEDIA RELEASE

E tū supports parents cut adrift by IDEA Services

E tū is working with the parents of intellectually disabled children in the Wairarapa as they prepare to fight cuts to IDEA Services.

IDEA Services plans to exit 5 percent of its services, including home support; respite, foster and shared care; holiday and after school programmes, and Contract Board arrangements.

The parents and E tū are holding a joint meeting on Monday evening in Masterton where they will launch a petition calling on IDEA Services to reverse its decision.

E tū organiser, Thomas Webster says the families are angry at IDEA Services for abandoning them, as well as the lack of fair process including failing to consult them.

“These families view the staff as extensions to their whanau over many years,” says Thomas.

“They have real concerns for the wellbeing of their children under a potentially new provider, given the relationships of enormous trust, confidence and respect they have with their current care givers.

“The foundation values of IDEA Services, formerly IHC were established when families themselves set up IHC. Now IDEA Services seems to have forgotten the C in IHC stands for Children.”

He says parents blame IDEA’s decision on under-funding as well as the government’s shift to individualised funding.

“The Prime Minister, Bill English needs to instruct the relevant Ministers to work with the representatives of the families, E tū and IDEA Services to find a solution,” says Thomas.

“If they do that, they will restore the mana of the service users, their families and their staff.

“To IDEA Services CEO, Ralph Jones, we say this: put this on hold, get the parties together and discuss a solution which will maintain the status quo.”

ENDS

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