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This Committee met on average every six weeks to consider matters which can be
broadly classified as of a general and of a domestic nature, and policy concerning the
social needs and well-being of the inhabitants of the Borough. Periodic reports were submitted
to the Council's Social Services Co-ordinating Committee which consists of the
Chairman of the Children's, Health, Housing and Welfare Committees.
Case Conferences were held on individual families at the requests of field-workers,
and 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) discussing 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 the bi-monthly rent arrears sub-committee the situation of families facing court
action is considered and where possible steps are taken to prevent eviction.
Co-operation with Hospitals and General Practitioners
In order to effect close co-operation and liaison with hospital consultants and general
practitioners, the following advisory committees exist to assist me on aspects of community
health care in their particular field: —
Psychiatric
Geriatric
Chest Physicians
Pathological
General Practitioners
Paediatric
Obstetric and Gynaecological
Venereal Disease Consultant Advisers
A further committee under my chairmanship, the Community Health Service
Liaison Committee of Southwark, is comprised of general practitioners and principal
officers of the Health Department, whose task is to assess the value of requests from
medical research groups and of health surveys and is also concerned with other health
matters of a general nature affecting general practitioners and the community.
Attachment of Staff to General Practitioners
Further progress has been made in the attachment of health visitors and home nurses
to general practitioners. In my report for 1967 mention was made of the full-time attachment
of a health visitor at the end of the year to a group practice of four doctors. This
attachment has developed successfully and there are now two health visitors and two home
nurses attached full-time to the practice.
A second scheme of attachment was started in December when one full-time and
one part-time health visitor and one full-time home nurse commenced work with another
group practice.
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