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39
In view of the large number of these voluntary institutions now at work in the Borough, the
Maternity and Child Welfare Committee have concluded that there is no occasion to establish
municipal institutions, such as those set up in other areas under the Maternity and Child Welfare
Act; but there has been increasing recognition of the fact that the Council, as the body primarily
responsible for the public health (including child welfare) in the Borough, should endeavour to
secure co-operation between the voluntary institutions themselves and co-ordination of the
voluntary work with that of the Council in order to prevent overlapping and to guide the growth
of the new movement.
During the early part of 1920, the Maternity and Child Welfare Committee gave careful
consideration to this matter and concluded that, in the first place, there should be a co-ordinated
scheme in regard to the work of the Infant Welfare Centres. With this end in view they
appointed a Sub-Committee to confer with a Kensington Conjoint Committee of Infant Welfare
Centres. The meeting was held at the Town Hall on July 26th, when the following resolution
was passed unanimously:—
"That this Conference agrees to the principle of the formation of an Advisory Committee,
"consisting of two representatives from each School for Mothers (Infant Welfare
"Centre) and the Telford Road Clinic, such Advisory Committee to take the place
"of the Joint Committee of Infant Welfare Centres and also of the Standing Sub"Committee
of the Borough Council's Maternity and Child Welfare Committee, and
"the duties of the Advisory Committee to be modelled on the lines laid down in the
"report of the Medical Officer of Health."
The resolution was approved by the Council who invited the Committee of each of the seven
Infant Welfare Centres and the Telford Road Baby Clinic to nominate two of their members to
serve on the Advisory Committee. On receipt of the names of those nominated, the Council
formally appointed the Advisory Committee on November 16th and assigned to them the following
duties:—
1. Advisory. To advise the Maternity and Child Welfare Committee of the Borough
Council on all matters relating to maternity and child weltare work, and particularly
on the following questions:—
(a) The organisation of a complete and co-ordinated scheme of work with regard
to infant welfare centres, home visiting, dentistry, ante-natal consultations,
treatment, etc., for the whole Borough.
(b) Changes in administration which experience may from time to time suggest.
(c) The area of activity of each welfare centre.
(d) The organisation of a uniform system of keeping records, etc., by the welfare
centres.
(e) Applications for grant from infant welfare centres.
2. Supervisory.
(a) To supervise and co-ordinate the working of that part of any scheme
(approved by the Borough Council where such approval is necessary)
which devolves upon the voluntary bodies.
(b) To act in a supervisory capacity in regard to any centralised voluntary
service such as dentistry, ante-natal work, etc., which may be established.
(c) To act as the channel through which annual reports, applications for grant
to voluntary bodies, etc., are sent to the Maternity and Child Welfare
Committee of the Borough Council.
(d) To consider all such voluntary bodies reports, applications, etc., and to
make suggestions to the welfare centres in regard to any matters arising
therefrom.
(e) To arrange tables of statistics, etc., and to obtain from each welfare centre
the necessary information for the compilation of the same.
(/) To frame regulations dealing with the keeping of records, etc., by the infant
welfare centres, and to secure the observance of such regulations.
3. Executive.
(а) With the approval of the Borough Council and the Ministry of Health this
Advisory Committee shall have power to perform such executive functions
as may be authorised by the Borough Council.
(б) To carry out on behalf of the voluntary bodies, such duties as they may
request the Committee to perform.
The initial formal meeting of the Advisory Committee was held on November 30th, 1920, when
Mrs. Carnegie, of the Bramley Road Centre, was appointed Chairman. The first business to
receive their attention was the question of home visiting, which branch of work was more in need
of co-ordination than any other. In the past there has been very considerable overlapping owing
to the absence of co-operation between the Council's Health Visitors and the visitors working from
the Centres, both sets of workers having been in the habit of visiting the same homes.
Following the Maternity and Child Welfare Committee's adoption of the recommendations of
the Advisory Committee, the Council have appointed one additional Health Visitor, making, with
the two Women Sanitary Inspectors, seven Women Health Officers on the staff of the Public Health
Department. One of these ladies is attached to each of the seven centres and is responsible for