View report page

(d) Dental Inspection -
This is very desirable for children over the age of 2 and, if
possible,should be arranged shortly after admission and at intervals
of not more than six months.
(e) Medical records -
Individual records should be kept showing condition on admission,
and progress, and should include a record of sickness. Dates of
immunisations should be noted. Condition on discharge should be
recorded.
43.Children attending local education authority schools will be examined
by the school health service at intervals. A member of the staff of
the home should endeavour to be present, and should tell the doctor anything
of note about the child just as a parent would".
Special Schools
Handicapped children are medically examined annually. The forms are
completed and returned to the Inner London Education Authority,(EO/WS/2/3)
which, where appropriate, forwards them to the Children's Officer concerned.
Conclusions
In common with other officers of the community services, Child Care
Officers are on the alert at all times for symptons of ill-treatment or
ill-health, and arrange for urgent medical examinations in all cases where
they have doubts. Having regard to the medical arrangements, the reporting
done on the children boarded-out, and the examination of such reports by
Senior Child Care Officers, it is hoped there will be little risk of
medical situations arising which would cause concern.
Adoption
Hammersmith Children's Department Adoption Agency began to function in
January, 1966, with the appointment of an Adoptions Officer; and a part-time
Child Care Officer, working mainly with the unmarried mothers, has now been
added to the staff.
As private Adoption Agencies are free to choose the kind of child they
will accept for placement and usually only consider babies with uncomplicated
backgrounds, the Hammersmith Adoption Agency has tried to place children
with more difficult backgrounds who would otherwise have had to be received
into the authority's care.
The children placed often have poor medical, psychiatric or social
histories. A large proportion have parents of mixed races.
Because we have "Difficult" children to place we need to consider each
prospective couple of likely adopters on their own merits. Hence we have
no set rules regarding the eligibility of the adopters. We feel that the
couple who comply with the legal requirements and have a stable and happy
marriage which can expand to include adopted children, and offer love, and
good care, make the most suitable adopters. In the past, adoption agencies
tended to lay down stringent qualifications as to the age, religious
F. 4