View report page

55
Much attention is also given to the child who is deaf or partially hearing. In some cases the social worker
responsible for these children maintains personal contact with the family for a considerable time and gives
social work support in whatever way she considers necessary. It is important for her to know what services
are available to help a particular child and she acts as a link between the home, the school and other
agencies. She has a first hand knowledge of the child's background and can often play a useful role in
interpreting family relationships. During the year this social worker made 19 home visits. In addition she
attended the Audiology clinic where the total number of attendances was 359.
Venereal Diseases
Six social workers are employed at three hospitals which have special clinics for the treatment of venereal
diseases. Their duties include tracing contacts and following up defaulters and arranging for them to attend
for diagnosis and treatment. A considerable amount of their time is spent in dealing with a variety of social
problems encountered in their work. Many of the patients who attend the clinic require a great deal of
moral support as well as practical assistance. The educational aspects of this work are becoming increasingly
important and the social workers are in a favourable position to educate their clients with regard to their
responsibility to others without moralising or being judgmental.
During the year the social workers interviewed 5,123 patients in the clinics and made 2,043 home visits.
Owing to the increased attendances at these special clinics it has been found necessary to increase the
establishment by the appointment of another full-time social worker who commenced duties in April, 1973.
Co-ordination
As from the beginning of October 1972 it was agreed that co-ordinating case conferences would in
future be held in the Area Social Services offices and that the Health Department Principal Social Worker
would no longer act as Secretary of the conferences. She would, however, remain as Secretary of the main
Co-ordinating Committee.
From January to October 1972, 22 case conferences were held and 55 families were discussed.
Families were referred for discussion at the request of any social worker or agency interested in the
family. The importance of referral at an early stage has always been stressed, particularly when financial
pressures were building up or when some strain in the family relationships appeared to be becoming so
intolerable that the unity of the family was in danger.
An essential part of the Principal Social Worker's job is to maintain contact with other statutory and
voluntary organisations throughout the City of Westminster and this she continued to do throughout the
year. Another very important link is that between the school medical service and the education welfare
service and here again every effort has been made to maintain and strengthen the liaison which has already
been successfully established between these two services.
SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICE
Section 30 of the London Government Act 1963 places the responsibility of providing a school health
service upon the Inner London Education Authority; the day-to-day operation of the service in Westminster
is my concern as Principal School Medical Officer. Arrangements were made under provisions in the Act for
the joint use by the City Council and the Authority of professional and clerical staff and of premises. The
following report to the Inner London Education Authority was submitted in respect of the school health
service for the year 1972.
The usual arrangements have been made for sessions in schools to cover health surveys by school nurses
and audiological sweep testing, school medical inspections, re-inspections and special medical examinations.
Extra sessions have been arranged for examinations prior to school journeys by school nurses and for
immunisation as and when required. At most of the schools the accommodation for medical examinations
is inadequate.