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A recommendation was made under the Urban Expenditure Programme for additional creche
sessions to be held at the Island Clinic Centre, which is situate in an area lacking in such
facilities, so that sessions would be available morning and afternoon, each weekday.
CHARGES AND ASSESSMENT SCALES FOR THE SOCIAL SERVICES
In 1967 the London Boroughs Association considered the report of a Working Party set up
to consider the calculation of charges levied for certain Health, Children's and Welfare Services
and the abatement of these charges where appropriate by means of assessment scales. The
Association after making certain amendments commended the report to the London Boroughs as a
memorandum of advice and guidance.
Following consideration of the matter by the Council's Co-ordinating Committee for Social
Services and the other relevant Committees, certain amendments were made to the proposals and
the amended scheme was adopted by the Council, the consequent revised charges and assessment
scales coming into operation on 1st Apri1 1968. The general principle of the revised scheme is
that the standard charge for any particular service for which a charge is required to be made
should be the full unsubsidised cost, and if the applicant cannot afford to pay the standard
charge the contribution made by him should be computed on his means.
DAY NURSERIES
There are four non-residential day nurseries in the borough operated by the Council,
providing places for a maximum of 210 children under 5 years of age. In one of the nurseries
there is a special unit for the care of mentally handicapped infants for whom transport is
provided. The aim of this unit is to provide relief for the parents, particularly the mother
rather than to afford her the opportunity of going out to work.
Three of the day nurseries are classified as training nurseries and provide practical
training facilities for student nursery nurses undertaking courses for the examination of the
Nursery Nurses Examination Board
In addition the Council has a claim on 25 places at a voluntary day nursery in respect of
which an annual grant is made to the voluntary body concerned. The Council's nurseries are
staffed by 69 persons, which include matrons and nursing and domestic staff,
Children are admitted to the nurseries in the following circumstances:
First priority is given to cases where the mother is in ill-health and cannot adequately
care for the children, or during a mother's confinement; where living conditions are detrimental
to health or where it is considered desirable for the health of the child that it should be
admitted to a nursery; where mothers are required to work because they are widows, unmarried,
separated or divorced, or whose husbands are totally disabledorin prison, provided the mother
works at least 35 hours a week.
In addition there are the second and third priority categories, for children whose mothers
are compelled to go to work as an economic necessity, and where vacancies are not required in
the other priority classes, for children whose parents are both working, provided that the
mother is employed at least 35 hours a week.