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69
Services for unmarried and unsupported mothers and their children
The second project was in connection with services for unmarried and unsupported mothers
and their children. An account of this follows in some detail because the project has resulted in
the provision of a new service in this section of the Health Department.
It had previously been agreed by the Health, Welfare and Children's Committees that a research
study should be undertaken by a senior social worker in the Health Department. Her report which
followed was considered by these Committees and it was felt that there was a need for a further
study to be undertaken in collaboration with the statutory and voluntary bodies concerned. A
seminar was, therefore, held in September 1967, attended by representatives of some 31 statutory
and voluntary organisations, together with members of the City Council's Committees and officers
of the Departments concerned. The general feeling was expressed that there was a need for more
continuity of social worker support for unmarried and unsupported mothers. There was also a
great need for the provision of more accommodation, either by voluntary or official sources. The
record of the proceedings at the seminar was then considered by the Children's, Welfare, Housing,
and Health Committees. The Health Committee asked the Medical Officer of Health to confer
with the other Chief Officers concerned and to report on possible further action, particularly on the
likelihood of the voluntary organisations providing accommodation. Accordingly a Joint Report
is to be submitted to the Health, Welfare and Children's Committees.
One social worker is at present employed full-time and one part-time in helping to provide a
service for unsupported mothers. It is hoped that in the near future a full-time additional appointment
will be authorised as all the other social workers are over-committed. The volume of work is
steadily increasing as the service becomes better known. The number of referrals during the year
was 98. Many of the clients require practical help and casework support over a long period.
Usually the girls are seen weekly for the first month of contact in order to establish a relationship
and to crystalise the more immediate plans. They are then given fortnightly appointments, unless
there are indications for more frequent visits, until a few weeks before the birth of the baby.
Contact is then usually increased as the imminence of the birth reinforces many of the anxieties
about the birth itself and about the decision regarding the baby's future. Contact with the girls
is retained as long as she indicates that this is necessary to her. This service for the unmarried
mother has not been running for sufficient time to ascertain how long this need for contact with
the social worker is likely to continue. There do, however, seem to be crisis periods—e.g. when the
baby is about six months old and another when the baby is around 12 to 15 months old. Another
difficult time comes when the child reaches school age and the mother has then to cope with the
shorter school hours instead of day nursery hours.
Consideration is being given to the possibility of running a series of group discussions with
unmarried mothers whose children are between 12 and 18 months. It would be of great benefit
if something more was known of the emotional crises common to lone mothers at various stages
of their children's development.
In addition to this work with pregnant girls there have been developments concerning our work
with lone mothers who already have a child or children, varying in age from one week to six years.
The overwhelming difficulty here has invariably been accommodation and this is a vast problem.
In the past year 61 applications for urgent help with accommodation were referred to the social
workers. It is considered that suitable accommodation plays a vital part in whether or not the
lone woman can successfully cope with her child and therefore every effort is made to help in this
direction.
Much help is received from Housing Associations and from the National Council for the Unmarried
Mother and her child. It is, however, a time-consuming job and it is hoped that it will be possible
to appoint an Accommodation Officer in the near future who will be able to search for accommodation
not only for unmarried and unsupported mothers, but also for mental health patients.
Some of the mothers with children referred to the social workers have complained of loneliness
and isolation and a Club has been started for them, which is making some contribution towards
meeting this need. The Club meets once a week at No. 1, St. Mary's Terrace, W.2 and is run by the
Westminster Council of Social Service in conjunction with the Health Department social workers.
Family Planning—Counselling Service
Another interesting new development came into being in May 1968. When the Health Committee
were considering the family planning services to be provided under the National Health Service
(Family Planning) Act 1967, it was felt that a counselling service should also be provided for