The Budget Consultation for 2023/24 ended on Tuesday (But please check at www.shorturl.at/lqOV7) and we thought you might like to read our submission, from Cllr Carole Da Costa and Cllr Wisdom Da Costa, WWRA Councillors Clewer & Dedworth for you, our residents, in Clewer & Dedworth East and, in Clewer & Dedworth West.
This year’s consultation was facilitated by four key issues;
1. We would like to thank Adele Taylor and Andrew Vallance for their coaching and guiding us in the process, and kick-starting engagement between us and the Directors of Service
2. We would like to thank the senior officers who met with us especially Kevin McDaniel and Andrew Durrant and Chris Joyce
3. The substantial issue of the availability of £3.97m of funding over and above the Conservative’s original budget proposals – this meant we could avoid the political mudslinging that usually accompanies the “how-will-you-pay-for-your-suggestion” side of Budget spending suggestions
4. Being the Leader of the WWRA Group in Council has facilitated these discussions which have informed our submission and the WWRA Budget proposals for you that you will see next month.
Our fundamental concern is that due to a decade of failure to include prudent increases in Council tax, children, vulnerable adults, the elderly and those in need are the ones we are condemning to the greatest suffering in these budgets.
If we continue to resist council tax increases we will be heaping further misery, sickness, and death upon our vulnerable neighbours, especially our children. Is that what you want?
RBWM risks becoming an uncivilised, barbaric society.
WWRA Councillors Clewer & Dedworth want a stronger more cohesive community, where we support and serve one another mutually and experience the best from each other.
One whose prudent governance boosts businesses and the environment and brings dignity and wellness and also prosperity to our people, residents, businesses and habitat alike.
We will tell you more without actual budget proposals and our manifesto for the May 2023 Elections
Here are some of the headlines from our submission – click the link for full submission – www.shorturl.at/aefAO
ADULT SERVICES
In Adult Services, we have problems with recruitment as our recruitment packages are much lower that neighbouring boroughs which result is a reliance on often expensive and unreliable agencies.
By improving the salary, incentive and recruitment packages for social workers we can ensure better long-term relationships with our charges, improved domiciliary care, better health outcomes for people in care and, improved job satisfaction for our staff.
We recommend a recovery of £500,000 from the overall savings of Adult Social Care of £6,300,000
CHILDREN SERVICES
We fundamentally disagree with the range of service cuts to Children’s Services and would suggest eliminating all cuts to all early Intervention.
Public consultation costing £’000s has held pre-covid which resulted in the closure of many children’s centres (not activity centres) and the retention of some family hubs which were to become one-stop shop, hubs, for health visitors & family support officers who provided early help programmes, supporting families ideally to prevent statutory intervention.
We recommend the removal of line CHI20S and the restoration of £480,000 for all non-statutory Family Hub service
PLACE SERVICES INCLUDING PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE, HIGHWAYS AND OTHERS.
Yes. The budget indicates a depleted officer core with a strong tail off of enforcement, early intervention, and internal infrastructure to support efficiencies and improvement opportunities which are common to many departments.
We recommend an additional budget of £600,000 to help improve productivity gains, delivery of efficient service, restoration of quality and service levels, and effective enforcement and Corporate Plan objectives
GOVERNANCE, LAW, STRATEGY & PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES
Yes. More money needs to be put into Procurement & contracts as we observe the following deficiencies;
1. Contracts are largely silent on Net Zero, Climate Mitigation, Biodiversity Restoration, pollution reduction and, elimination of plastics
2. Many contracts are deficient in construction and do not understand the interplay between service delivery – audit & quality assurance – effective clawback on non-performance
3. Many contracts do not specify appropriate performance standards or service delivery
We recommend an increase of £300,000 to plug these gaps
RESOURCES INCLUDING FINANCE, LIBRARIES, HR, IT
Yes. The resource has been under pressure with staff under pressure and improvements in support are needed.
We recommend an increase in the budget of £250,000 to employ extra staff, increase training and remuneration, to relieve the pressure on existing staff and improve staff morale and so productivity.
This will facilitate staff creating Thriving Communities and Inspiring Places
IMPROVE OUR SERVICES, MAXIMISE OUR INCOME, OR MANAGE OUR BUDGET MORE EFFECTIVELY
Yes, but I have suggested these issues to Cabinet Members before including guaranteed funding I procured from DEFRA but they have ignored the proposals.
Please come and talk to me RBWM so I know that you are serious.
Accountably yours,
Carole & Wisdom
Cllr. Carole Da Costa & Cllr Wisdom Da Costa
Clewer & Dedworth East & Clewer & Dedworth West, Windsor
West Windsor Residents Association