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Health Education
A very important part of the health visitor/school nurse's work is the
teaching of parentcraft and home making in schools, welfare centres, to
individuals in their own homes, and to local organisations. Class teaching
in schools (particularly secondary modern girls schools) in the Area has
developed since 1950, until this year a total of 389 talks have been given
in schools alone. This is a heavy but worth-while programme. The aim
is that as many girls as possible shall take part in discussions and demonstrations
on health and home-making and acquire a knowledge of the
services available to the family before leaving school.
We have now reached the position where young mothers attending
maternity and child welfare centres renew their acquaintance with health
visitors from whom they have had guidance as adolescents.
All maternity and child welfare centres in the Area hold mothercraft
classes at weekly intervals at which health visitors lead the discussions
among young mothers or expectant mothers. Advance programmes of
the subjects to be discussed are arranged at each centre. Film strips and
other visual demonstrations are used to illustrate the subject under
discussion.
Home safety exhibitions were arranged at each maternity and child
welfare centre to coincide with the national campaign on "Accidents in
the Home". Tottenham Road and Home Safety Officer was very cooperative
in supplying and transporting models to the three main maternity
and child welfare centres.
A number of health visitor/school nurses have also given talks to various
women's clubs and have acted as lecturers and examiners for the British
Red Cross Society's Cadets and young people's, mothercraft, first aid
and home nursing groups.
Daily Guardian Scheme
This well tried scheme for the daily minding of children who are not
eligible for admission to day nurseries has been in operation for eleven
years.
The number of guardians registered has always exceeded the demand,
but this is useful providing they are well spread over the Area. It is
essential from the working mother's point of view that the daily guardian's
home should be within easy reach of the mother's home or work place.
There are proper safeguards to ensure that both parents and guardians
understand their responsibilities under the scheme and that a reasonably
good standard of care is maintained. Health visitors are responsible for
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