PARENTS of children with severe disabilities have been left 'devastated' at proposed cuts to specialist teaching staff, fearing their children will be left 'without their voices' in school.

Somerset Skills and Education chiefs were forced to defend a decision to cut members of the Physical Impairment and Medical Support (PIMS) team at a meeting of Somerset County Council's scrutiny for policies, children and families which saw a hoard of protestors gather outside County Hall today (Friday, March 16).

Gemma Lorey was one of parents fighting the cuts - her son Max, aged 9, has severe quadriplegia dystonic cerebral palsy.

"Max is extremely bright and attends mainstream school. However his only way to communicate is through his high-tech eye-gaze system which he uses only with his eyes," Mrs Lorey said.

"This can only happen because he is hugely reliant on the expert support of the PIMS team and they offer us home and school support to allow Max to stay in mainstream school.

"I am asking for the people making the decision to come and shadow members of the PIMS team for a day and see how much they do for someone like Max."

Garrie Wynn was another Bridgwater parent who spoke passionately against the cuts.

"My son Lewis is at Westover Green, and uses this eye-gaze technology. I just do not understand why there has been no consultation or information. Council tax keeps increasing and yet we are seeing further cuts. Stephen Hawking, who passed away this week, used similar eye-gaze technology and has shown what people with even severe disabilities can do, but as a council you seem to turning your back on that.

"I am ashamed to someone living in this county when other counties are not making this cut."

Ian Rowswell and Emily Walters from SSE bore the brunt the questions from the public and councillors. Rowsell explained that SSE had due to 'strong financial management and a number of efficiency savings there would a £210k surplus.

Emily Walters said: "Funding for high needs children and young persons will now be allocated to the schools for them to spend how they see fit."

A special needs co-ordinator from one Somerset school spoke to the Gazette before the meeting. "I am extremely concerned about losing frontline staff. It will affect the most vulnerable children, and parents and staff did not know about this decision until the last minute."

Cllr Martin Dimery said: "I was teaching when the social integration policy was brought in and SEN children were moving into mainstream school and I would not have been able to cope without specialist assistance. I do not know why we are only finding out about this now - I feel like as a councillor I have been hung out to dry."

Ian Rownsell admitted that a number of people had already received redundancy notices, and said some had accepted voluntary redundancy.

The council agreed to ask for the procedure to be put on hold so that a full report can be produced to be discussed at the next meeting on April 20.