Islington Tribune and parents force climbdown over minicab switch in a victory for ‘the little people’ Published: October 21, 2011
A popular minicab firm dropped from transporting Islington’s seriously disabled children after a decade has suddenly been re-hired - after parents contacted the Tribune.
Parents this week thanked the newspaper for helping to reinstate the firm, Lady Cars, which had been left out of a crucial work tendering process.
They contacted the Tribune on Monday after being told the firm would no longer be transporting and escorting their children.
The parents, who had not been consulted about the change, learned that a new firm would start transporting and escorting the vulnerable children after half-term.
The Tribune was about to go to press last night (Thursday) with the parents’ complaints when the council’s corporate director for environment and regeneration, Kevin O’Leary, issued a statement apologising for the blunder.
He said: “We are very sorry that we overlooked consulting parents about the new taxi contract. We do understand that parents and children depend on this service and that it is very important that they are happy with the provider.
“We have therefore agreed that those parents who wish to stay with their existing supplier may do so, for as long as they wish. We are in the process of writing to all the parents to explain what has happened.”
One of the parents, Samantha Wilson, from Barnsbury, said: “Yet another example of the Tribune’s tenacious commitment to the real issues that concern local people. A big score for the little people.”
Her daughter, Phoebe, 9, is confined to a wheelchair with quadriplegic cerebral palsy. She is also blind and non-verbal. Ms Wilson, who writes the East of Islington series for Oldie magazine under pen-name Sam Taylor, thanked the paper for taking up the issue. “This is a wonderful example of the power of parents and the local press,” she said.
Ms Wilson explained that Phoebe has been with her current driver and escort for about five years. Phoebe travels to a special school in Northwood, Middlesex, run by the Royal National Institute for the Blind, in an escorted journey that takes two hours there and back.
Ms Wilson added: “She’s been with her escort Jessie for the entire time and they really get on. Jessie is wonderful and very loving towards Phoebe. For a child who cannot see or speak, hearing is everything and she is obviously very used to Jessie’s voice.
“The main problem with this abrupt decision was that not only would Phoebe have lost a friend, but we were only informed last week that Jessie would be removed from her life. We were not even told who the new driver and escort would be.”
The issue involves up to 80 children, aged between five and 16, with complex conditions ranging from Down’s Syndrome and combined blindness and deafness to serious learning and development difficulties. Children spend up to ten hours a week with their escorts, being driven to schools throughout London.
But early this year, without parents knowing, under a new cost-cutting deal between Islington and Camden councils, travel arrangements for the children were put out to tender.
It is claimed no one informed Lady Cars, which did not take part in the tendering process. Details may have been sent by the council to an incorrect email address.
The joint boroughs have now appointed nine new minicab firms to share the work.
Lib Dem councillor Ursula Woolley, opposition spokeswoman on children’s issues, said she could understand the parents’ anger. “It appeared the children would have been getting people they didn’t know and the parents had not been told anything about it,” she said.
“The council had handed over the process to Camden and no longer had control. And Camden’s approach – from what we see from the tendering documents – doesn’t give us any confidence at all.”
In 2009, Camden Council was fined £1,200 after a man cleared in a background check, despite having convictions abroad for abuse, went on to abuse a child.
The “vulnerable” child was abused while being driven to school in 2008.
Tribune saluted for role in school escorts battle Parents last night (Thursday) hailed the Tribune’s part in winning their battle over who should transport up to 80 of Islington’s most disabled children to school.
One parent, Oldie magazine writer Sam Wilson, said: “This is yet another example of the Tribune’s tenacious commitment to the real issues that concern local people.”
Parents alerted the newspaper on Monday after being told that minicab firm Lady Cars, which had been transporting children for a decade, would no longer be doing the job. The firm was apparently left out of a crucial work tendering process, organised jointly between Islington and Camden councils. Not only had parents not been consulted about the sudden change of personnel but they were informed that a new unknown firm would start transporting their vulnerable children.
However, following meetings between officials and Islington Council Labour leader Councillor Catherine West, parents received an apology last night and the firm was reinstated.
Source; http://www.islingtontribune.com/news/20 ... little-peo
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