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In addition to the 48 children above, 33 born in 1964 whose handicaps were not apparent
in that year were added to the Handicap Register in 196!!. The total number on the Handicap
Register at the end of 1965 was 229. All children whose names appear in the Handicap Register
are in the care of hospitals, and there is close liaison between these hospitals and the Local
Health Authority.
Home Help Service.
This Service is run from two offices in the Borough, each of which has an Organiser
with appropriate supporting staff. The Southern area is served from 2/6 Fulham Broadway, S.W.6.,
and the Northern from 48 Glenthorne Road, W.6.
The Ministry of Health Circular (25/65) of 10th December, reviewed arrangements for the
Service and said that the Minister, "Regards the provision of home helps as a service which is
an important element of community care, and one on which the domiciliary health and welfare
services as a whole increasingly depend for their proper functioning." This is undoubtedly true
as the demands on the Service continue to grow, and the principal difficulty is the shortage of
suitable Home Helps. This shortage is particularly acute in London, because wage rates for
Home Helps are lower than those in comparable employment. On the other hand, the Home Helps
feel they have a responsibility towards the persons they visit, and there is a sense of belonging
to a Service and helping the community.
A six-week Autumn recruiting drive resulted in sixty-eight applications for employment,
and twenty-four of the applicants were engaged.
A possible development, indicated in the Circular, was "Good Neighbour" or "Neighbourly
Help" schemes, in which it was envisaged that women, unable to undertake the full range of
duties normally associated with the Service, should help neighbours in more limited ways, e.g.
in settling down for the night.
Chiropody.
The demands on this service are constantly increasing and the Council decided that it
should be integrated and run as a direct service. This meant taking over the service previously
organised through the British Red Cross Society and the Fulham Old People's Welfare Association,
and this took effect from 1.10.65.
The work of the British Red Cross Society and the voluntary bodies associated with the
Fulham Old People's Welfare Association, notably Bishop Creighton House, in helping provide
the Chiropody service was greatly appreciated and 3 clinics are still being held with their assistance
and co-operation.
Most of the clinics are restricted for the use of priority classes, which are (1) Elderly
persons, (2) Physically handicapped, and (3) Expectant mothers. Only those clinics which were
in operation before 5.7.48 can accept non-priority persons for treatment.

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