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142
Unsupported Mothers and Babies
Whilst the department was unable to make any progress
towards its own "mother and baby" hostel, the Greenlow Society
continued to improve its ser ice for the unsupported mother.
Benefits are beginning to flow to the Society from the fixing of
the maintenance rate during 1967 in respect of women being
assisted by local authorities.
During the year, the department gave financial help to 46 young
unmarried mothers at the request of the local Moral Welfare
Workers who, in their turn, placed the girls in various mother
and baby homes. (See also page 123.)
Two mothers were maintained by this department in the Greenlow
Society Hostel during 1968.
SERVICES FOR THE HANDICAPPED
Although, at present, some categories of handicapped people
fall outside the National Health Scheme for pecuniary benefits it
is the aim of our community services to help all individuals
towards self-support and an independent life, such measures
including rehabilitation and training for regaining capacity for
work. Where this is found to be impracticable, a solution is
sought by the department which endeavours to give the handicapped
the greatest of physical and mental freedom compatible
with his/her underlying condition. Attainment of these objects
means a personal social service to individuals or families and,
ipso facto, a demand for more social workers in the local
authority services.
Although social workers (welfare) undertake duties at the Central
Office for the purposes of reception and interviewing, their efforts
are mainly concentrated on the physically handicapped including
the blind, the partially sighted and the deaf.
With the opening of two Combined Day Centres during the
year greater opportunities for practical work have been afforded
for the physically handicapped which undoubtedly accounted for
the fact that several of the younger people in this group were
accepted by "Remploy" for full-time paid employment. That these
centres cater for the mentally ill as well as for the physically
handicapped redounds to the advantage of both.