Children have been at the sharp end of a series of unfortunate circumstances including covid disruption of healthy development, cost of living crisis and the low mood of a hopeless environmental future.

As a result of these and other factors, 50% of our children locally suffer from low mood and depression and the number of children and families in crisis is increasing rapidly.

The impact of this is an increasing number of children and families in crisis, suffering from serious mental health and also self-harming issues. Untreated, this can condemn our children to low mood, depression, poor education, poor job prospects, a life of poverty, sickness, addiction, early death and, a life on benefits and dependent on the state.

I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy.

However, Extra early intervention would help children and families in distress to improve life chances, economic productivity and reduce long-term care costs.

The WWRA and Cllr. Carole Da Costa wants the win:win situation that Extra early intervention will bring.

We want to see the smile on the hearts of young adults and, the laughter of a life happily, productively and well lived.

After all, they are our children.

You would want that for your children, wouldn’t you?

Early Intervention Cuts in the Council’s 2023/24 Budget

Cllrs Carole Da Costa and Amy Tisi successfully recommended the reversal of proposed Budget Cuts at the People Overview and Scrutiny Panel on Thursday 19 January 2023 7.00 pm

These would have removed even the little early intervention that RBWM had in place.

“Councillor Tisi proposed a motion that Cabinet uses £500,000 funding from the additional budget settlement to remove the amount of savings required of the non-statutory Family Hub services (savings ref. CHI20S) and create a new growth bid of £20k for the Family Hubs to ameliorate increasing demand on the service. This motion was seconded by Councillor Carole Da Costa.”

WWRA Proposal for Extra Early Intervention for Children

The reversal of this proposed Conservative Party cut is to be applauded.

But with waiting times for appointments for child Adolescent Mental Health care as long as 24 months, an Educational Health Care plan taking at least 2 years before an assessment is done and, extra early help intervention can save money and trauma protecting a child from becoming a child in care, we consider that we need to invest in recruiting and retaining officers so that young people have continuity in their care team.

We would like to increase the number of social workers in adult services, enabling spot checks and monitoring of social care of the elderly and vulnerable.

Cllr. Carole Da Costa has worked with senior RBWM officers, WWRA Councillors to propose an increase in investment in vulnerable young people and families – Remember this will improve the quality of life for many, for decades to come and, reduce the need and costs of long-term care for them. This will alleviate suffering, stabilise children and families, prevent further deterioration and reduce the risk and cost and pressure on statutory services.

Do you agree?

Creating a prosperous environment

However, with the discussions and work still ongoing, this proposal may not be ready to present to Full Council on 21 February 2023 but, rest assured that Carole will tenaciously seek the best for our young children. Always.

You can read our full list of WWRA 2023/24 Budget Proposals on our article entitled, “What Windsor residents are talking about – WWRA Plans For Windsor” -Article available from Wednesday 15th 2023

Because young people matter to us.

Carole & Wisdom

Cllr. Carole Ann Da Costa & Cllr. Wisdom Da Costa

Clewer & Dedworth East & Clewer & Dedworth West

West Windsor Residents Association