WE HAVE been supporting workers for people with learning disabilities for 10 years, employed by an established and well-respected local service provider.

In the last few years our wages have been cut and hours reduced due to budget cuts from Hampshire County Council. Throughout this we have strived to provide the best care for our clients.

Recently HCC decided to review all service providers in the county. This has involved a two-stage process of tendering.

The result was a complete shake-up of providers and clients, unfortunately not for the better.

The main value adhered to and constantly spoken of when working with people with learning difficulties is choice: their right to choose.

At no time throughout this process were clients or their families involved or consulted.

As support workers we were forbidden to discuss the process with either the clients or families until it had been completed and HCC had informed them of the results.

From our point of view we find it difficult to understand the reasoning, and have yet to find a client or family who is happy with the new arrangements.

As support workers we now have a choice of transferring to a new service provider for whom we did not choose to work, to provide continuity for our clients, or abandon them to stay with our existing one and hope they can provide us with work.

This is just a cost-cutting exercise that only benefits HCC. They clearly do not understand the meaning of choice and the value it holds to a person with a learning disability.

Name and address supplied, via e-mail

Editor’s note: The Advertiser asked Hampshire County Council to respond to this criticism, but did not receive a reply.