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36
Report of the Welfare Officer (Miss I. O. D. Harrison, S.S.D.)
At the end of 1964 I had completed five years in the appointment
I now hold. Social situations are not static and it is now of
interest to reflect on and compare the problems and situations that
have arisen during this period, and to consider the trends and
changes in attitudes and behaviour that have taken place, not only
among immigrants but also among the indigenous population.
In view of the pending amalgamation of the London Boroughs,
which means that this will be the last annual report I will submit
to Paddington Borough Council as such, it is possibly an appropriate
time to discuss the development of my work during this
period.
Broadly speaking it has had four main aspects.
1. Concern with the individual and personal problems of immigrants.
Some of these arise from difficulties of adaptation from rural
and sometimes backward societies to a highly industrialised and
complex one, and others arise as a result of the differences in habits,
customs and behaviour patterns of the territories from which they
come, which naturally are brought here with them, and for which
there is no appropriate social service equipped or able to assist.
2. Concern with problems of indigenous people which involve
or concern immigrants, and which, again, are not appropriate to
the existing social services.
(Both of these categories have included problems of accommodation,
misunderstanding or friction between individuals of the
same and different groups, and, of course, landlord-tenant difficulties.)
3. Assistance with Community and Group problems, which can
arise from the presence of numbers of immigrants in a community,
especially immigrants who are patently different. This category has
included problems resulting from incompatability, ignorance, misunderstanding,
discrimination and prejudice and can affect either
or both groups.
This category I have always regarded as particularly important,
as not only does it concern problems which are now with us, and
which, if not given careful attention, may develop into situations
which result in lasting attitudes and beliefs, but also because full
understanding of the community and its members is essential if we
wish to foresee, anticipate and, more particularly, avert certain
problems arising in the future.
This aspect of my work has entailed learning as much as
possible about what is happening in the area and attempting to
keep abreast of current interests and opinions. It is important to
know, not only people who have problems, or who themselves are
problems, but also people who do not have the difficulties which
bring them to the attention of the social services. All such people
comprise a community and the needs of all must be considered.
In this connection it has been necessary to liaise with the existing
services and interested bodies and, of course, a great deal of home
visitation and even doorstep conversation has been called for.