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22
Argyle Square Group of Centres.
At the Argyle Square Centre a special consultation for children between 1 and 5 years
old was held once a month. At Oseney Crescent special consultations for children between 1
and 2, and 2 and 5 respectively, were held once a month each. At Falkland Road a special
consultation for children between 1 and 5 was held once a month.
A rearrangement of the work at these three centres and at the centre at the Mary Ward
Settlement has been effected. The Oseney Crescent and Falkland Road Centres have both been
closed and their place taken by a new centre at 14, Caversham Roid, which was opened on
9th February, 1923. The lease of the Caversham Road house was acquired by Miss J. de Pass, who
has equipped the premises in a very beautiful manner as a full-time centre. The Borough Council
make a payment to the centre towards the rent, rates and taxes, but no public funds have been
asked for by Miss de Pass in connection with the alterations and equipment. With a view to a
more advantageous distribution of work the Argyle Square Centre has been dissociated from the
new Caversham Road Centre, and the committee and staff of the latter have now nothing to do
with the former. The Caversham Road superintendent has the help of one assistant health
visitor on the Council's staff.
A new voluntary committee has accordingly been founded in connection with the Argyle
Square Centre, as the result of a successful meeting called by the Mayor (Alderman Harold
Trill, J.P., M.W.B.) on 19th January, 1923. The superintendent at the Mary Ward Settlement
School for Mothers has been put in charge of the Argyle Square Centre also, and is assisted by
one of the Council's assistant health visitors who previously worked at Argyle Square when
that centre was staffed jointly with Oseney Crescent and Falkland Road.
As from 31st January, 1923, the Council have taken financial responsibility for the payment
of the medical officer conducting the weekly consultation for infants and the monthly
consultation for older children at Falkland Road (afterwards moved to Caversham Road),
formerly borne by voluntary funds.
Sixteen young mothers' classes were held at Oseney Crescent during the year, at which
150 attendances were made. There were no classes in 1922 at Argyle Square and Falkland Road.
Mary Ward Settlement School for Mothers.
A weekly sewing and knitting class was held throughout the year, and ante-natal classes
from January to May. The total attendances at the classes were 320, of which 282 were from
St. Pancras.
Massage for Young Children.
The work of the massage clinicS for young children has been continued during the year.
The clinics have been held twice a week at four centres, viz., Ampthill Square, Chalton Street,
Camden Road and Queen's Crescent. Cases have been dealt with at these centres from
certain other centres also. Only children under five attending the infant consultations have
been treated, and the massage has been given in accordance with the direction of the
doctors in charge of the consultations. The masseuse, Miss D. M. Griffin, has been paid at
the rate of Is. per treatment, with a minimum payment of 6s. per clinic. The mothers
have been charged in accordance with their means, 3d. per treatment being the most usual
charge. The massage treatment has usually been administered twice a week. The cost of the
scheme has been defrayed mainly from the voluntary funds of the centres sending the cases,
but some of the administrative expenses have been met from the special fund raised for the
purpose by Dr. Gladys Miall-Smith last year.
The work done in 1922 is indicated in the
following table:—