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The Minister's Scheme provides that it shall be a condition of the payment of the contribution
to a voluntary organisation :—
(1) that the Borough Council are satisfied as to the efficiency of the maternity and child
welfare service provided by the voluntary organisations in respect of which the contribution is
payable, and that such service is being used by a reasonable number of those persons for whom
it is provided ;
(2) that no reduction or alteration of such service is made without the consent of the Borough
Council:
(3) that such service, and any premises in which it is carried on, are open to inspection at
all reasonable times by any duly authorised officer of the Borough Council or of the Ministry of
Health;
(4) that the voluntary organisation send to the Borough Council each year a copy of their
annual report on the work of the previous year, together with a statement of accounts for that year
and a copy of the auditor's certificate thereon, and furnish the Borough Council from time to time
with such other information relating to the maternity and child welfare services and the expenditure
thereon as the Council may reasonably require.
A principle underlying the Local Government Act, 1929, is that local authorities shall have
as much freedom as possible in administering maternity and child welfare services, and
accordingly the provisions of the Minister's Scheme under Section 101 (6) transfer to local
authorities the local supervision of the maternity and child welfare work of voluntary
organisations.
Looking at the matter from the point of view of the Borough Council and its own services,
it may be said that the sum result of the changes brought about by the new legislation is that
the Council can proceed with their maternity and child welfare work in any reasonable
direction they may think fit, without having to approach the Minister for sanction; but, on the
other hand, the amount of grant they will receive in respect of such work is fixed and any new
additional expenditure will have to be borne entirely by the ratepayers. At the end of three
years the Minister will review the position, take into account the Council's expenditure and
then fix the block grant for the succeeding four years.
The introduction of the Act did not call for any alteration or amendment of those branches
of maternity and child welfare work which are carried out directly by the Borough Council;
but certain adjustments in the system of co-operation which has grown up between the
voluntary organisations and the Council in the last ten years were needed as a result of the
changes in the system of payment of grant and the introduction of a new form of supervision.
Towards the end of the year, the Council reviewed their relationship to the voluntary organisations
and adopted proposals in regard to future arrangements which were circulated in November
to the institutions concerned.
MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE COMMITTEE.
The duties and responsibilities of the Maternity and Child Welfare Committee have been
greatly increased as a result of the Local Government Act, 1929 ; and the Council gave consideration
to this Committee's status in the latter part of the year, when it was decided that it should be made
a permanent Committee of the Council with power to recommend the expenditure of money.
Hitherto the Committee had been required to submit all proposals in the first place to the Public
Health Committee, but now the Committee will be able to report on expenditure direct to the Finance
Committee or the Council, as the case may be.
ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO THE MATERNITY AND CHILD WELFARE
COMMITTEE.
In 1920 it was felt that, as the Kensington maternity and child welfare scheme was so largely
organised on a voluntary basis, it was desirable to establish a special committee composed of ladies
representing voluntary maternity and child welfare organisations, in order to secure uniform
working arrangements and to exercise supervision on behalf of the Maternity and Child Welfare
Committee in regard to the work of the voluntary institutions. This Advisory Committee has been
of great value in maintaining the high standard of voluntary work carried out in Kensington. Since
its establishment it has exercised control in regard to the eight infant welfare centres and the Baby
Clinic, and it has been composed of two members from each of these institutions.
The importance of this Committee and its value in the Council's scheme have been enhanced
as a result of the changes introduced by the Local Government Act, 1929, but some alteration in its
constitution appeared to be necessary as from the 1st April, 1930. Not only will the eight infant welfare
centres and the Baby Clinic receive grant from, and be subject to the supervision of, the Borough