Praxis Care sounds alarm on cuts to services for vulnerable children and adults

Greer Wilson, director of Care and Development for Northern Ireland, has written to all party leaders to express the charity’s profound alarm at the potential cuts. He has also offered to support any lobbying efforts the parties could undertake on behalf of some of the most vulnerable people in society.

“The Supporting People programme which is administered by the NI Housing Executive on behalf of the Department for Communities is specifically earmarked in a consultation document as one programme that may be negatively affected,” says Mr Wilson.

"Praxis Care provides services to a number of Section 75 groups in the Supporting People thematic area of mental health and learning disability. This includes a combination of accommodation-based and community-based services, stretching across all council areas in Northern Ireland. “We employ almost 1000 people,” Mr Wilson writes, “and our services have been the bedrock of many vulnerable people’s lives for decades.”

Praxis Care says there are no areas left in which savings can be made.

Mr Wilson also highlighted that the cuts are not going to result in savings in the long-term. “It is foreseeable that financial pressures will simply transfer for from the Department for Communities to other government Departments.”

“If there is anything that Praxis Care can contribute to the efforts to secure and enhance this critical budget, we will be very willing to join any lobbying efforts that could achieve this important outcome for some of the most vulnerable citizens in our society.”