London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Croydon 1955
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Croydon]
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96
Many problems can be overcome, and in some cases prevented
by close liaison with other Departments. The basis for this
work is the essential need for children to have a secure
home life to ensure their proper physical, mental and emotional
development."
Families in Receiving Homes assisted from October - December 1955
| Rehoused in private accommodation | 7 |
| Rehoused in Council accommodation | 2 |
| Accommodation found before admission | 2 |
| Family | Departments | Agents and Contacts |
|---|---|---|
| 63 | 17 | 21 |
Families without permanent housing at close of year:-25
| Family | Departments | Agents and Contacts |
|---|---|---|
| 206 | 40 | 45 |
Potential homeless families:-2
| Family | Departments | Agents and Contacts |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 1 | 2 |
The general scheme, which combines preventive and re-habilitation
work by district health visitors and special home helps,
and copies the methods of the Family Service Units, is an effective
means of coping with problem families without setting up
a new department and thus creating fresh difficulties of coordination.
It is hoped that the conditions which allowed so
many problem families to be admitted and to remain in Welfare
Services Accommodation will pass with the policy and administrative
action now being followed. While one health visitor should
probably be given permanent responsibilities for the oversight
of all day to day work of the Health Department with problem
families, the need for her present concentration of effort on
residents in the Receiving Homes, will I trust, steadily diminist.