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Representatives of voluntary and statutory agencies are co-opted as necessary.
The Sub-Committee's terms of reference are wide, and include consideration of
procedures and policies concerning local needs, and of matters referred from case
conferences. It has power to implement procedures experimentally, and submits
reports on action taken to the Standing Committee.
Case Conferences were held on individual families at the requests of field workers.
Questions of policy requiring further discussion were referred to the Working SubCommittee.
Case conferences, although demanding in time, are considered extremely valuable
and are a means of
(a) disseminating information between a number of Social Workers involved
with the same family and if possible avoiding the duplication of visits;
(b) giving help and guidance to workers on future plans for any one family
and to consider the introduction of an intensive family caseworker; and
(c) bringing to the notice of senior officers of the Council, conditions and
situations which cannot be improved without changes in policy.
At 1st April, 1965, two family caseworkers were employed for the purpose of
intensive visiting of families with multiple problems, and one social worker (health
services) spent part of her time on intensive casework. In December authority was
given for a third caseworker to be employed. The case-load at the end of the year
for each full-time family caseworker was eleven families.
The main burden of giving advice and guidance, both in their home and at the
welfare centre, to the problem and potential problem family falls on the health
visitor. This officer also supports those families with children under five years where
the withdrawal of intensive casework is thought possible; the amount of time spent
with such families is quite considerable. Without this support, much of the work of
the department's family caseworkers could fail.
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