Town facing shocking level of mental health problems

Shaun Davies said preventative services were usually the first to be cut because they do not give immediate visible results, but added that “breaking the cycle of worklessness” would help young people lead happier and healthier lives.

He was speaking at a meeting of the council’s Scrutiny Assembly where he presented his administration’s four-year plan, titled ‘Our programme to protect, care and invest to create a better borough’, to backbench members.

Councillor Davies pointed out that 18 areas of Telford and Wrekin are in the 10 percent most deprived in England, according to statistics published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government last month.

“When you drill down, it’s not the only factor, but it’s partly about benefit change and welfare reform,” he said.

“There is a link. If you have less money, you’re in debt; that has a massive effect on your mental health and wellbeing

“One part of the state reducing money that goes into the household doesn’t stop at the bank balance. It has a knock-on effect.”

He said NHS decisions were often “unaccountable” and called for the council’s Health and Wellbeing Board to be strengthened.

“Mental health is often seen as the Cinderella service in the NHS,” he said.

“If people could see physical signs for mental health problems, you would have an intensive care unit everywhere.”

Scrutiny Assembly chairman Derek White he was shocked by the prevalence of mental health problems he saw in the borough.

“Old, young and middle-aged, it isn’t being dealt with,” he said.

“We really need to find a way forward on mental health and how to get in there at the first sign, not the last.”

Councillor Davies said his administration was investing £80 million a year protecting vulnerable adults and children.

“If we give the best start to our young people, some of the issues we have had in the last 20 years – deprivation and high levels of benefit claims – will be reduced because you are breaking that cycle of worklessness,” he said.

But he added that this was jeopardised by pressure elsewhere.

“We’ve made £120 million of savings, and that’s not one-off, it’s £120 million each and every year that we have lost to our budget,” he said.

“When a budget is reduced, one of the first things that tends to get cut is the budget for prevention, because that does not give a result you can see there and then.”