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Services provided at City Council's Welfare Department homeless families
accommodation
One of the two playgroups run on behalf of the Welfare Department by the Save the Children
Fund at Norfolk Square closed down during the year. The other playgroup at Leinster Square remains
open and caters for approximately ten children.
NURSERIES FOR MENTALLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN
There are three special day nurseries registered by the City Council, two of which are operated by
the City of Westminster Society for Mentally Handicapped Children catering for 42 children, and
one operated by the Salvation Army for 20 children on one day per week.
URBAN PROGRAMME
The Government's Urban Programme was initiated in 1968 and at the present time projects that
are approved under the programme attract a Home Office grant of 75 per cent, of capital and revenue
expenditure (provisionally the first five years revenue expenditure).
Phase III of the programme was promulgated in August 1970 and a number of projects relating to
day care of children, family and housing welfare were submitted by the City Council on behalf of the
several departments concerned. Also re-submitted from 1969, was the Brunei Estate Day Nursery
project (50 places) and it can be mentioned at this juncture that the Home Office in January 1971
indicated its approval in principle for grant aid in respect of this nursery. A cleared grassed area has
been reserved for this nursery and it is anticipated that it will be completed by early 1973.
THE HEALTH VISITING SERVICE
This service has continued throughout 1970, following the pattern of previous years, with the
work organised from the ten Maternal and Child Health Centres within the City. Home visiting and
follow up and after care visits and the organisation of the various clinics e.g. child health, ante-natal,
family planning etc., is the permanent responsibility of the nursing and health visiting staff. It is in
these activities that they fulfil the role for which they were trained, practitioners in their own right,
detecting cases of need on their own initiative and also acting on referrals from other field workers.
The year 1970 saw the extension of visiting of elderly people, and improved co-operation with
other agencies dealing with them. Several meetings and group discussions were organised in
co-operation with the City of Westminster Old People's Welfare Association, in an endeavour to
clarify the role of the health visitor, as well as that of other workers, and to bring about more understanding
and co-operation between them. This in the main has been successful, and small local
groups have continued to meet, resulting in more benefit to elderly people in the way of a visiting
service. Much remains to be done and the difficulty of knowing which of the elderly most need the
service also remains; tracing those who need help is not an easy task in a City of this size and
complexity, and having regard to the high numbers living within the area.
Two further attachments of health visitors to group practices have been organised, bringing the
total to six; here the health visitor does not work on a geographical basis, as is the usual arrangement,
but provides service for all patients in the group practice. This brings the health visitor into contact
with all age groups, therefore providing a comprehensive service for all registered patients.
As a result of the co-operation and discussion undertaken by the senior nursing officers with the
general practitioners, it is pleasing to record that all attachments have proved most successful, and
appreciation of the health visitor's work has frequently been expressed by the doctors concerned.
It is hoped that more attachments will be arranged in future, as health visitors have come to hold
the view that there is more job satisfaction for them, and the patients also much appreciate the
improved service provided for them. Understanding between the doctors and health visitors has
resulted in happier relations all round. It has been a marked feature that the health visitors involved
in this scheme have volunteered to work in this way, and have shown great interest and enthusiasm,
thus ensuring success. This is a development which it is hoped to continue, and encouragement is
given by senior nursing officers, who guide the staff to use the special skills of nursing, social training,
and health education they have in this sphere of work.