CONCERNS have been raised about plans to abolish a council post which oversees short respite breaks for disabled and vulnerable children.

The authority has reportedly decided to axe respected staff member Tony Connole, whose job is to liaise with parents and help arrange care for their sons and daughters, as part of a departmental shake-up.

The council is currently tendering for new respite care contracts and the Waltham Forest Parent Forum has described the timing of the move as “crazy”.

It comes after Barnardo's Hamara Project, which provides respite care to disabled children and their relatives in Waltham Forest, announced last month it was suspending all home visits to families as it awaited the outcome of the tendering process.

It already had to start scaling back its activities in March 2011 due to council cuts.

Dad-of-two Danny Herbert, of Chester Road in Walthamstow, has a 10-year-old son autistic son called Charlie who has benefited from respite care funded provided by Hamara.

Mr Herbert, 44, said: “The council don't seem to consider this as important as their other 'priorities' such as street cleaning and crime, but in my view I think the most vulnerable people in our society should have all the support they can.

“When you consider that the council seem to be getting rid of the man whose job is dedicated to respite care then it suggests they don't really care about it.

Mr Herbert added: “Our sitter from Hamara would come about once a fortnight and Charlie loved her, and she provided us with a break. It's very difficult for autistic children to adapt to change and he's been very upset since she stopped coming.”

A letter to mums and dads from The Waltham Forest Parent Forum, which a voluntary network of parents and carers with disabled children, said: “Tony’s departure will be a huge blow to parents.

“We are already struggling to access services and he is our only point of contact with regard any issues we may have.

“He is also a staunch supporter of our forum and had a significant part to play in securing our funding. Also, as the borough in the process of evaluating tenders for short breaks it seems a crazy time to be getting rid of one of the key players.”

The Guardian is awaiting a comment from the council.

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