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16
Invalid Children's Aid Association.
Under this scheme, assistance is rendered towards the cost oi convalescence of St.
Pancras children under the age of 5 years, with a maximum of 50 cases. The financial arrangements
provide for a payment of 75 per cent. of the amount outstanding after allowing for
any payments by parents. During 1945, 13 children were so assisted at a cost to the Council
of £104 13s. Id.
Home Helps.
During the course of the year the Voluntary Committee asked to be relieved of
responsibility of maintaining the Home Helps scheme for the borough, and accordingly the
Council determined that as from 1st July the provision of home helps should be continued
under the direct control of the Public Health Department.
Where home helps are supplied to help women who are expectant or nursing, or in connection
with the care of children under 5 the cost is borne by the local authority. Home
helps may be provided in case of sickness or for the care of elderly persons, and in these
cases the full cost is recovered from the Ministry of Health.
During the course of the year it was found extremely difficult to obtain women who
were prepared to accept employment as home helps, and it was possible to meet the demand
in only 29 cases. There were 45 applications. The rate of pay during the year to home
helps was Is. 6d. per hour. There has been a subsequent rise in the pay of home helps to
Is. 9¾d. per hour, a figure agreed by the Joint Industrial Council, and it is hoped that in the
forthcoming year this very necessary service may be increased, not only in respect of expectant
and nursing mothers and children under 5, but also for the aged and the sick whose needs in
this respect it has been impossible to meet during 1945.
Midwifery Grants.
By arrangements with Middlesex Hospital and University College Hospital assistance
is accorded to the hospital where the St. Pancras mother is accepted for her confinement and
is unable to pay the sum of £3 per week. This assistance is a maximum of £1 per patient
admitted to the hospital, and is granted only in approved necessitous cases. The total for 1945
was 135 cases.
Provision is also made to the University College Hospital by a payment of an agreed
sum in respect of the use of an Emergency Obstetric Unit, but there was no case during the
year.
Provision of Beds for Maternity Cases.
The London County Council has made arrangements whereby 8 maternity beds are available
for St. Pancras cases at the University College Hospital.
These beds are filled by cases referred to the hospital by the Borough Council, and the
London County Council pay an agreed sum for their retention.
Daily Guardians-
At the end of the year there were 8 persons having the care of children under this
scheme, and the total number of visits made were 108.
Payments to the Guardian for the care of children are made by the Ministry of Labour
through the local Labour Exchanges, after the Borough Council has approved such Guardian
and supplied the necessary particulars on prescribed Forms to the Labour Exchange.
Care of illegitimate children.
A block grant of £217 was paid to the Standing Joint Committee in respect of five
voluntary societies who make arrangements for the care of the unmarried mother and her