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A central index of the names of all known handicapped children and young persons from
the ages of 0 - 18 is being compiled and maintained at the central office. The aim of this
register is to ensure that it contains the names of all handicapped children living in the
Borough and that information is quickly and readily available on individual children and
groups of children. Regular reviews are undertaken of medical, educational and social factors
in the interest of the child, and the family. The aim is to ensure that there is co-operation
in the case of every handicapped child and that essential information about the existence of
a handicap, its nature and degree, and the family situation, is available to all departments
and services which may have a contribution to make.
Notifications of handicap come from birth notifications (form MCW 1), discharge notes of
mother and baby from hospital (form MCW 28), school and clinic doctors, hospitals, schools,
general practitioners, mental health social workers, other departments of the Council and
other local health authorities (for children moving into the Borough).
Information Flow
Information from
MCW 1
MCW 28
Fieldworker reports
Hospital reports
G.P. reports
Children's Dept.
Welfare Dept.
E. O.
Other L. H. A. s.
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Information to
Field Workers (Health Dept).
Children's Dept.
Welfare Dept.
E.O.
Statistics
Review Lists
Surveys
Annual Report
Other L. H.A. s.
Children under the age of five years, or before they are admitted to a special school,
are reviewed at frequent intervals by the principal medical officer. A constant watch is
kept on their progress by medical officers and health visitors, and information is obtained
from and passed to hospital consultants. As each child approaches school age he or she is
assessed to determine any need for special educational treatment.
School children are under the care of the school doctor. Each child's case is reviewed
centrally based on reports from school medical officers received annually or more frequently
where necessary. For social problems the School Care Committees and the I.C. A. A. provide
links with the Public Health Department. Social workers (Health Services) are attached to
the three special schools, Frank Barnes (deaf), Hargrave Park (partially hearing unit) and
Cloudesley (physically handicapped). Case workers from the Elfrida Rathbone Committee visit
the families of children attending the three chools for the educationally sub-normal. A
social worker employed by the Inner London Education Authority based on the Public Health
Department, is attached to the unit for autistic children at the Horizon school and to the
Harborough School for autistic children.
For school leavers there is a well established arrangement for co-ordination between the
Borough services and the Handicapped Young Persons section of the Youth Employment Service.
The principal mental health social worker or her representative, attends the sub-committee
meetings on handicapped children of the Youth Employment Bureaux.
A separate register of deaf children of all ages is maintained by the senior social
worker (Health Services). Close follow-up of all children is undertaken by social workers in
conjunction with the principal medical officer.
Handicapped children in care who are in homes managed by the children' s officer are seen
by the senior medical officer on her visits to the homes. Hospital reports on individual children
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