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13
HOME AND DOMESTIC HELPS SCHEME
Since 1936, a scheme has been in operation in the
Borough for providing domestic assistance in the home
during the time a mother is unable to carry out her household
duties on account of her confinement. The "Home
Help'' usually attends for 30 hours per week for two weeks
but these periods are extended in exceptional circumstances.
The "Home Helps" are paid by the Council and the
families to whom the assistance is provided make a contribution
towards the cost according to their financial
means.
This service was extended to provide domestic help for
sick or infirm persons (whether through old age or otherwise)
resident in the Borough, who themselves are unable to
obtain such help. A panel of women willing and able to
undertake this work, either on a part-time or full-time
basis, has been prepared. The amount of assistance
rendered varies from one or two hours per week to several
hours per day, according to the needs of the household.
The success of the scheme depends largely upon the
numbers of Home and Domestic Helps available and also
upon their suitability for the work.
During the year 1947, "Home Helps" were provided
for 58 confinement cases and "Domestic Helps" attended
311 cases of old persons or households in which the mother
was unable to carry out her domestic duties owing to illness.
At the end of the year there were 50 women in the
Council's employment and further efforts are being made
to substantially increase this number.
SANITARY CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE BOROUGH.
The work of the Sanitary Inspectors was again comprehensive
and very extensive. The table below emphasises
the wide and varying duties which each Inspector performs
in his own District. The Inspectorate consists of the
Senior Sanitary Inspector, the Food and Drugs Inspector,
a Woman Sanitary Inspector employed on Special Duties,
and eight District Inspectors plus one vacancy for a District
Inspector.