The Special Needs Action Group says it will march in support of the Demonstration organized by Unite the Union on the 10th January. 

A statement from SNAG follows below:

On the 28th of June 2020 SNAG published an article regarding the dismissal of care workers, the high staff turnover within this sector and the lack of continuity of care along with other detrimental effects that this has on persons with special needs or disabilities and their families. SNAG worked closely with the Gibraltar Chronicle, providing them with first hand testimonials from affected parties. Despite our many efforts this article was never published. We had no luck with other printing press establishments. SNAG did however, make this article public on their Facebook and other Social Media outlets. On the 5th of July 2020, SNAG also published another article, which did find its way onto the Gibraltar Chronicle, thanking Dr Dai, who had resigned from her post within the GHA, for her hard work and dedication, and calling again for continuity of care and clarity on Special Needs and Disability Health Provision. We state the above to emphasize that the uncertain and precarious situation in which health and care workers find themselves in is in no way a new one and that this has a very direct impact on the service provision offered to service users, above all on continuity of care, which is imperative for persons with special needs and disabilities. 

To echo the words of our original article dated 28th June 2020: Care is composed of two indispensable elements - work and emotion. Within the demands of caring, which can be both physically and mentally demanding, there must be an emotional and a normative context. There must be a notion of care as labor which is driven by attitudes and virtues, and it is often seen that those with the greatest vocation put their time and hearts in the labor of care. The vocation of these Health and Care workers has been demonstrated, often for years, and should be reflected in treatment and in their contracts which could at the very least ensure respectable working conditions which recognise their hard work and dedication. 

It would be wise if those charged with the planning, employment and therefore, ultimately, the care of these service users, would plan with the users and their families in mind, but we find that all too often they are an afterthought. The result of these are very real struggles which are felt at home, in the lives of these users and their families and in the hearts of these very same people that our community is meant to protect.

The Special Needs Action Group will march in support of this Demonstration organized by Unite the Union on the 10th January. SNAG will stand in support of our Health and Care workers, we must ensure that we adequately support those who are meant to provide excellent and consistent care for those who need it the most.