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(i) The earliest detection and complete diagnosis of handicap, whether physical
or mental, taking account of all evident or suspected disabilities of the child's
general health and assessment of practicable measures to deal with the handicap;
(ii) Regular review of medical, educational and social factors to enable an optimum
service to be given in the interest both of the child and of the family; and in due
course, consideration of employment prospects and the need for welfare services in
adult life.
(iii) Consistent advice and continuing support to the family and, as appropriate,
to the child or young person.
A working party was set up comprising medical officers of health of inner London
boroughs, chief welfare officers, children's officers, Inner London Education Authority,
metropolitan regional hospital boards, and the London Medical Committee to consider
modifications desirable to ensure that the best services are provided for handicapped
children and their families. The working party made a number of recommendations, summarised
below, which were adopted by the Council.
Register of handicapped children and young persons: A comprehensive register under
the control of the medical officer of health should be maintained in each borough
containing the names of every handicapped child living in the borough. This would,
in effect, be an extension of the existing 'at risk' and deaf children's registers.
A child's name should be placed on the register as soon as he is known to be 'at
risk' and should remain on it at least until he is 21 years old. It should be the
duty of all those who work with handicapped children to ensure that relevant information
is passed to the medical officer of health, who, in turn, should ensure that the
information is not merely entered on the register but passed to all those known to
be interested in the child. When a child moves to another area, all relevant
information in the register should be passed to the medical officer of health of the
new area. To enable children moving from borough to borough to be easily assimilated
and statistical information readily made available a standard form of register is
desirable.
Nominated officer: As soon as a child's name is placed on the register the medical
officer of health should appoint a 'nominated officer' (preferably the head of a
department) to co-ordinate all field-level services that the child might need,arrange
case conferences, keep other workers concerned fully briefed and feed the register
with necessary information.
Case conferences: Case conferences should be held frequently so that all concerned
with a handicapped child may have opportunities to exchange information and discuss
the most appropriate ways of helping it.
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