View report page

51
The liaison aspect is greatly facilitated by my working in the context of the Health Department,
and in particular, being in close contact with the doctors and social workers working in School Health
Clinics. (It will be remembered that the recruitment of family caseworkers into the Local Authority
setting commenced as a consequence of the Ministry of Health Circular 27/54 in 1954, which was
concerned with the welfare of children and with the prevention of break-up of families).
Most of the work is done during home visits, the frequency of which is regulated by the needs of
the situation. In a crisis, this could be two or three times in one day. Visits are made during and
after working hours and sometimes at weekends. They are on a permissive basis, e.i., based upon
my being accepted by the family.
During the year, 24 families were visited, 11 of these being new referrals. Of the 24, four declined
to continue with the service after the initial visits were made (in one of these cases, the parents
sought our help later after their marriage had broken up). Another felt they were no longer in need
of help after some months, and discontinued the service. One was purely a housing problem.
One family broke up after eviction and mother's subsequent desertion. Two families moved out of
the City and the Local Authorities concerned were asked to continue a similar service for them.
Another family was unable to make use of casework help. In another case, the Children's Department
—after the Court had placed the children under their supervision—accepted responsibility for
helping the family. One family agreed that their situation had improved to the point where they
no longer needed the service.
The caseload is constantly fluctuating, with an average of 12 to 15 families. At the end of the
year, 12 families (with a total of 50 children) were being visited; 637 home visits were made, and
there were 34 office interviews."
Although only one social worker is employed full-time in working with families who have special
difficulties, some of the other staff carry a limited caseload in addition to their other duties.
The importance of the staff keeping up-to-date with social legislation and indeed with developments
generally in the social work field has already been mentioned. During the last year several
members have attended seminars in family casework, social work with handicapped children and
their families, and community care. Social workers also attended conferences on the Epileptic
Child and the Diabetic Child. Much benefit was derived from the London Boroughs' Training
Committee programme of activities. In addition, in-service training has been continued with
other departments. Staff meetings with a special aspect of the work as subject for discussion,
which all the social workers attend, are held regularly so that everyone feels they are members of a
team. One member of the staff was seconded for one year's professional training at the London
School of Economics and it is hoped that an increasing number will be able to take courses leading
to a professional qualification in social work.
The senior members of the staff are often asked to give lectures to other groups of social workers
—e.g., hospital medical social workers, or to voluntary organisations.
Many social science students come from Universities at home and abroad and colleges of
Further Education to this department for their practical training, for periods varying from two weeks
to three months. It is recognised how necessary this is but student supervision is very time consuming
and demanding and it does place a heavy burden on the staff. In planning the establishment
of staff in the future perhaps consideration could be given to this point. While perhaps it is not
necessary to have a full-time officer to be in charge of student supervision (which would also
include the supervision of junior members of the staff) a considerable part of her time could be
very profitably employed in this manner.
With regard to research into social needs and social policy, it is considered that this should be
undertaken when the opportunity presents itself. In March and April, 1966 the Health, Welfare
and Children's Committees considered a report by the Medical Officer of Health, the Director of
Welfare and the Children's Officer dealing with the number of illiegtimate births occurring in
Westminster, the problems which confront unmarried mothers, and the services provided by both
voluntary and official organisations for the unmarried mother and her child. The Committees
agreed that one of the City Council's social workers should study this problem with a view to a
further report being submitted to the Committees concerned and accordingly a research study is at
present being undertaken by a senior social worker in the Health Department.
CO-ORDINATION
The Co-ordinating Committee consists of representatives from the City Council's Health, Children's
Welfare and Housing Departments; the Inner London Education Authority and the Greater London
Council Housing Department. The Chairman is the Medical Officer of Health, the Vice-Chairman
is the Children's Officer and the Secretary is the Principal Social Worker (Health Services).