SERVICES for adults with learning disabilities are stretched to breaking point because of what the charity Jersey Mencap claim is inadequate States support.
The charity said that the special needs social worker service had ‘cracked under the lack of investment’ with just one full-time and a part-time social worker in an Island where there are more than 400 adults and their families who could need to call on their support.
The news follows reports last weekend that Autism Jersey is angry at the loss of a promised psychology post which would have eased the strain on the charity.
The current financial pressures on Health mean that donations and grants are being cut, while at the same time Islanders are finding they have less money in their pockets to donate to needy causes.
The head of Health’s special needs services, Chris Dunne (pictured), said that they were working towards having three full-time social workers for the special needs service, and were hoping that the charity was regarded as a priority to secure States funding so that a new adult respite service could be provided as soon as possible.
