Deaf and blind student: 'Council funding cut will take my life away'
A YOUNG deaf and blind student has been left devastated after being told the £30,000 funding for her specialist college course is to be cut.
Caroline Potter, of Wolstanton, is currently in the second year of a three-year access course at Exeter Royal Academy for Deaf Education.
But her family says the 20-year-old's social worker at Staffordshire County Council, which provides the funding, has told them it will not be available next year.
The authority says no decision has yet been made.
Twin sister Laura Potter-Dunn said: "When Caroline's social worker came round we thought it was a routine update but she said she'd come to discuss what the council wanted Caroline to do in the future. She said she'd been told by her manager Caroline wasn't going to get any funding for the next year of her access course.
"Instead she said the proposal was for Caroline to live in a flat on her own here in Staffordshire and given direct debits to pay for support workers, which would mean her education and her social life would be taken away."
Laura, a second-year student at the University of Gloucestershire, added: "It was a shock – Caroline was crying, saying 'this is what I want to do, I want to learn how to work on my own and get a job'.
"Caroline's come on leaps and bounds since she started at Exeter.
"It provides all the things that we'd always hoped she'd achieve."
Caroline, who attended The Coppice School in Newcastle, said: "I really, really want to stay at college because I love my friends and I love working there."
Mum Emma Dunn said: "The course at Exeter costs £30,000 a year which isn't that different to the council's new proposals, apparently it would only be £3,000 cheaper.
"It's just crazy; at Exeter not only does she get the education, but that pays for her residence and she's got a social life. Living in a flat on her own she wouldn't have any social contact."
Caroline had been hoping to carry on studying at Exeter after her access course.
Her family say they looked at other colleges, including in Newcastle and Manchester, but only Exeter was able to provide for Caroline's specific needs.
Step-dad Craig Dunn, who is a teacher, said: "I find it deeply frustrating that we are constantly having to battle for every little thing.
"Her choices are already severely restricted and the council is trying to restrict them even further."
County councillor Mike Lawrence, cabinet member for children's wellbeing, said: "The funding for Caroline is currently provided in partnership with Social Services and the Government's Young Persons Learning Agency (YPLA), with the arrangements facilitated by the county council. No decisions on provision have yet been made for the 2012-2013 academic year.
"The authority continues to work with Caroline and her family on this and to keep them fully informed of all decisions.
"The council naturally wants the best outcome for Caroline."
But Laura, who set up a Facebook page called Caroline's Campaign, disputed Mr Lawrence's assertion the council is working closely with the family.
She said: "I've emailed to ask him if he actually knows what's going on and he said he would have to speak to the officers involved, so we're waiting for him to get back to us."
6 Comments
View all
by clued_up
Wednesday, December 28 2011, 7:14PM
“Is this the self-same Coppice School which in cahoots with Staffordshire County Council suspended and kept four Teaching Assistants out of their classrooms in 2007/8 (on full pay) for up to 9 months, for daring to complain about the (then) HeadTeacher? A Headteacher who incidentally stayed in school on full pay and ended up with four "cautions" (apparently; though as Staffordshire County Council did not follow their own Policy and Procedure we shall never really know, will we?)
Oh yes, and isn't this the same lot, who in cahoots with Staffordshire County Council failed to provide for an autistic teenager at another school within the same Federation, err.... Blackfriars 16 plus? The above County Council paid out £5k for that bit of maladministration.
Whilst on the same subject, I don't suppose it is widely known that Staffordshire County Council in cahoots with wait for it.......The Coppice School, suspended a Senior Teacher on full pay as a result of a known unfounded allegation thereby involving both The Police and Staffordshire Social Services (read Staffordshire County Council here- no bias then) in a knee- jerk Section 47 Investigation for alleged "child abuse" making fools of all concerned. The innocent teacher , an individual with a previously unblemished career spanning some 32 years, together with his blameless family, were placed in hell for a month whilst being "investigated".
Following this he was left on full pay for over three years (whilst the authority attempted to came up with a reason for his continuing suspension and evidence for a proposed "Disciplinary Investigation" (which never happened)). During this time a supply teacher was paid to carry out his work in the classroom. In May 2011, after 3 and a half years he was sacked for "some other substantial reason"
He still awaits his Appeal against Dismissal. Also an Employment Tribunal waits in the wings. That same Headteacher who was deeply involved, as mentioned above, suddenly 'left' only to re-appear in another 16+ arm of the same Federation.
Rest assured Staffordshire County Council "what goes round comes round" and you cannot keep throwing the tax payers money via hiring QCs and blaming innocent individuals to cover up your own misdeeds and maladministration. It will all come out in the end. It always does!
I wish Caroline and her family best wishes and offer my support in her struggle with the likes of Staffordshire County Council, and their bottom-less pit of Taxpayers money that they waste so very easily. I wonder how they will spend that massive amount of £3,000 that they will have saved at the expense of Caroline's (and no doubt many other pupils) futures.”
by johnboy2011
Wednesday, December 28 2011, 12:45PM
“Yeah Gary, I hate that Osborne, he should have stayed with Black Sabeth.”
by PIG_PEN_GARY
Wednesday, December 28 2011, 11:53AM
“i agree johnboy. the amount of cuts are affecting our drinkers mental health as they are having there benefits cut or under review which causes them to drink more with the depression and worry its causing them.”
by johnboy2011
Wednesday, December 28 2011, 11:28AM
“Osborne announced in his last budget there was to be severe cuts in education and disability funding. Same old Tory's, and Staffordshire County Council is Tory held.
In the meantime the rich get richer.”
by ausiegirl
Wednesday, December 28 2011, 9:40AM
“Who was the drongo who came up with this outstanding bit of penny pinching? Well done! You've saved 3,000pounds and stolen this woman's future in one fell swoop!”