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50
"HANDICAP" REGISTERS
Much importance is attached to the development and maintenance of a
complete register of all babies and young children who have congenital handicaps,
or who, because of adverse factors occurring during the mother's pregnancy or
labour, are "at risk" of developing such handicap.
Information provided by general practitioners, hospitals and midwives is
supplemented by the observations of clinic doctors and health visitors.
Every child whose name is on the handicap and observation register is
reviewed by a senior medical officer at appropriate intervals so that any necessary
remedial action may be taken.
Reviews are held at regular intervals of all these children who may be in
need of special education.
PREVENTION OF BREAK-UP OF FAMILIES
Standing Committee tor Co-ordination
The Committee continued to meet quarterly, twice under the Chairmanship of
the Chief Welfare Officer and twice under that of the Housing Manager.
Throughout the year a high proportion of the time was spent at the quarterly
Meetings and at meetings convened by the Associate Town Clerk to the growing
problem of preventing homelessness due to rent arrears.
New procedure was introduced in January 1968 to draw the attention of
social workers to the urgent need for preventive work to avoid eviction; this was
applicable to tenants in Borough and Greater London Council housing, G.L.C.
mortgage defaulters and a small proportion of tenants living in private property
(only 4 such cases occurred in 1968).
A total of 258 cases were considered. 104 individual Case Conferences were
held; 65 of these were concerned with families seriously at risk through gross
arrears totalling £4,960. Apart from social workers in the Local Authority and
I.L.E.A. the Family Service Unit, Family Welfare Association, Probation Service,
and N.S.P.C.C. were to varying extents involved in preventive work, but in spite
of these combined efforts not all evictions could be prevented even if staffing
permitted more intensive case workers. There remain families who refuse to pay
rent and in fact appear to prefer living in homeless family accommodation.