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visits proved particularly useful in the follow-up of "at risk" children who had stopped attendance
at child health clinics and whose health visitor had paid fruitless visits to their homes. Any
difficulties could be discussed with the Principal Medical Officer and the appropriate action
taken.
During the year the number of first effective visits by health visitors to daily minders or
nurseries was 553 and the number of subsequent visits was 2,238.
It must be borne in m'md that in any future transfer of this service to the Social Services
Department the health of these children needs to be particularly safeguarded as mothers using
the day nurseries, child minders and play groups very often do not attend their general
practitioners or the child health clinic unless the child is seriously ill. This makes supervision
by the health visitor of paramount importance.
PLACEMENT OF CHILDREN IN PLAY GROUPS OR NURSERIES ON MEDICAL GROUNDS.
From time to time cases arise where placement of children in play groups or nurseries
should be made on medical grounds whether or not a charge is recovered from the parents.
A mother for one reason or another is sometimes unable to cope with her family or again
a child's care suffers because of the mother's inadequacy to cope with the situation. In these
cases there may be real hardship through families living on income from Social Security or
other very low income, although sometimes parents on sufficient income are also inadequate
and accumulate debts owing to poor budgeting. In cases of this type it is often not possible
for the expenditure to be met under the Children's Acts and other ways of meeting the cost
must be found, including payment for day care under Section 22(2) of the National Health
Service Act, 1946.
During the year 7 cases were placed in part time nursery groups under this section of
the Act.
NURSERY NURSING COURSES
During the early part of the year courses for the training of nursery nurses were arranged
by the Principal of Erith Technical College in conjunction with representatives from the
departments able to assist in the training, i.e., the Health and Welfare Department, the Children's
Department and the Education Department. It is hoped to open the first class for 15 students
in September 1971. The students would spend fifty per cent of the time at the college and
the other fifty per cent in placements, either at day or residential nurseries or at nursery schools
or classes. Further detailed arrangements are to be made.
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