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Home Helps.
The Council's scheme for the provision of home helps for
mothers during confinement, which has been in operation since
1920, was extended during 1944 to enable home helps to be granted
to mothers who, for reasons of ill health at any time, are
temporarily unable to look after their young children.
Home helps were supplied in 181 cases at a cost of
£1,031 2s. 6d.
Domestic Helps.
During 1945, attention was drawn to the position of sick
or infirm persons (whether through old age or otherwise) who were
unable to obtain domestic help, and the Ministry of Health
requested the Council to organise a service to provide such help
in the more serious cases of hardship. The necessary powers
were conferred on the Council by Defence Regulation 68 E.
The principal functions of the Council are-
(a) To appoint, and maintain a register of,
domestic helpers available for work at any time, and
to arrange for their payment;
(b) To determine who are the most urgent of the
applicants for help; and
(c) To assess what part of the cost of the help
provided should be recovered from each household and
to secure its payment.
The Council approved a suitable scheme on 20th February,
194 5, but great difficulty was experienced in obtaining the
necessary domestic helpers. With a view to overcoming the
difficulties experienced, it was decided to appoint a whole-time
Almoner, who commenced duty in 1946. The following is a summary
of the action taken during 1946:-
Applications received 206
Applications refused on the grounds
of unsuitability 27
Applications withdrawn 68
Applications granted 1ll
Total cost to Council - £424 15s. 7d.
Contributions by applicants - £155 2s. 2d.