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In consultation with the Children's Officer, local Consultant Paediatricians
and Psychiatrists, Family Doctors, various voluntary organisations and other
interested parties, a procedure for dealing with battered baby syndrome was set
up. The responsibility for dealing with the day-to-day implementation and coordination
of this procedure as between the various bodies involved, rests with
the Senior Medical Officer who acts as adviser to the Children's Department and
with a Senior Nursing Officer in the Health Department. So far, the procedure has
worked quite satisfactorily.
(Sgd) Dr. N.C.Walsh
Deputy Medical Officer of Health
PREVENTION OF BREAK-UP OF FAMILIES
STANDING COMMITTEE FOR CO-ORDINATION
The Committee continued to meet quarterly, first under the Chairmanship
of Mr. S. J. G. Smith, Director of Administration and Legal Services, and twice
under Mr. A. R. Taylor, Education Officer. It was still very much concerned with
saving families with high rent arrears from eviction and evidence of the causes of
breakdown in these hard core families was supplied for the Greves report on
Homelessness.
The Arrears Sub-Committee which had been set up in July 1969, continued
to meet every fortnight under the chairmanship of Mr. Smith. Children's, Health,
Housing and Welfare Directorates undertook to provide case work for the most
vulnerable families — 39 families were helped and rent guarantees given when
appropriate and in the cases where the Department of Health and Social Security
paid the current rent matching payments were guaranteed. Several of the families
proved to need continued case work. Though the Arrears Sub-Committee were
unable to discuss cases in great depth the case work provided by this Committee
did lessen the need for Case Conferences.
sgnd. T. Watts (Miss)
HEALTH SERVICES
Family Caseworkers
Family Caseworkers deal with specially difficult families, with multiple
problems, who need more time and individual help than can be given by normal
field workers if family breakdown is to be prevented, not only through rent
arrears, but also through marital disharmony, promiscuity, prison sentences,
drink and, increasingly often, drugs, all of which render the children particularly
vulnerable to neglect.