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97
HOME HELP SERVICE
Offices
Plans were implemented during the year for reorganisation of the services
into four instead of three areas, as at the end of last year, and for the provision of
home help support in the area covered by the Pilot Area Social Services Office,
361 Clapham Road. The fourth home help area office is located at Clapham Baths,
Clapham Manor Street, the North area office was moved from Offley Road to
157 South Lambeth Road, and the South office from Riggindale Road to
Streatham Common Maternity & Child Health Centre.
Staff
Organising staff comprised one senior organiser, three organisers and nine
assistant organisers assisted by eight full-time and one part-time clerical staff.
Home Visits
10,721 home visits were made by the organising staff in 1970, compared
with 9,131 visits made in 1969.
Home Helps
At the end of the year there were 441 Home Helps working in the Borough;
87 Home Helps were working full-time (40-hour week) and 354 working part-time.
Approximately 612,700 hours were worked in households during the year.
Time spent travelling between households accounted for a further 54,000 hours.
The turnover of staff continued to be high, at about 35%.
During the year 1,914 new applications for the services of a home help were
received, and 2,993 households were receiving help at the end of the year. 92% of
patients were aged 65 and over, 5% were chronic sick and the remainder were
made up of maternity, T.B., and various acutely sick people; morning and evening
help was also supplied to families with children.
10,212 hours of help were given during the year to 41 families, involving
157 children who, without support of the home help service, might otherwise
have been received into care.
(signed) Mrs. E. Wilson
Senior Home Help Organiser.