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OTHER ITEMS
OBSERVATION AND HANDICAP REGISTER
A Central Index of known handicapped children 0—21 years continued to be maintained centrally
under the general supervision of a principal medical officer. The register was transferred, during the year, to
the Kalamazoo Factfinder system which facilitates the extraction of information relating to, among other
things, particular handicaps, age groups, types of school, and ethnic groups. The development and welfare
of those on the register is kept under constant review.
An observation register is maintained at welfare centres of those children who for various reasons may
be at risk of developing a handicap. At the age of two years children are usually removed from the register
if development is normal.
School children on the handicap register are reviewed annually or more frequently if necessary. School
Care Committees and the Invalid Children's Aid Association continue to provide useful links with this
department on social problems. Social workers are attached to Frank Barnes (deaf), Hargrave Park (partially
hearing unit) and Cloudesley (physically handicapped) schools. Case workers from the Elfrida Rathbone
Committee visit the families of children attending the three schools for educationally sub-normal children.
A social worker employed by the Inner London Education Authority, based on this department, is attached
to the unit for autistic children at Horizon School.
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 meeting 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 followed-up
by the senior medical officer on her visits to the homes. Hospital reports on individual children are obtained
as appropriate. Close liaison is maintained with the Children's Officer on individual cases.
At the end of 1969 the number of children on the central handicap register and the observation
register at welfare Centres was:—
1968
Handicap Register — 0—21 years 2084 (1832)
Observation Register 0— 5 years 2050 (2139)
BATTERED BABIES
During December medical, nursing and social work staff of the department, together with the
Children's Officer and representatives of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children,
attended a meeting convened by the consultant paediatricians at the Wittington Hospital. An agreed
procedure was laid down for the co-ordination of the activities of the various departments and agencies
concerned in the care and management of babies reported to have been battered or thought to be at risk of
being battered.
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