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11
mentally handicapped, which has been architect-designed, is nearing
completion and should be in operation early next year. Combined
centres at Federation Hall and Riverdale have now been opened
and are a valuable addition to the Directorate's establishments.
Problems of homelessness have been under continual review and
the Housing Committee have helped the Welfare Committee enormously
in discharging their responsibility. Further improvements
to temporary accommodation were undertaken and the importance
of close social work support to vulnerable families has been recognised
by increasing the number of social workers allocated to this
service. In this connection, the benefits of the multi-disciplinary area
teams have now been amply demonstrated and experts in the various
health and social services specialties have been deployed easily
and without normal inter-departmental confusions and uncertainties.
Notwithstanding the present comprehensiveness of the service, other
methods of dealing with homelessness are being examined and, very
shortly, the Council will be undertaking a long term review of the
general position. A Working Party will be set up and it may be
that their recommendations will be available for consideration next
year.
When we turn to the environmental services, mention must be
made of the serious floods in September. The Directorate was
heavily involved and the public health inspectors and the
residential services staff in particular were fully employed in
organising emergency services. The planned programmes for
slum clearance and smoke control areas were fulfilled.
The home nursing service was under heavy pressure but despite
the increasing numbers of patients requiring nursing care, all
demands were able to be met, although this is placing a strain on
our nursing resources. New stringent legislation in regard to the
registration of child minders has necessitated a review of our
supervising arrangements.
An important aspect of the work of the Social Services
Directorate is the encouragement of staff to become fully qualified
in their chosen speciality and the Council has authorised a considerable
programme of fulltime release or secondment of officers
for training. The Directorate also has staff "in-service" training
courses regularly organised for nurses, midwives, home helps, child
helps and administrative staff.
It is with regret that I announce the retirement towards the end
of the year of Dr. T. Standring, the Associate Medical Officer of
Health, and Mr. Frank A. Andrew, the Chief Public Health
Inspector, both of whom left the Borough's service after distinguished
careers. Dr. Standring, during his long tenure as Medical
Officer of Health for Woolwich, was an acknowledged expert in