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103
An idea of the comprehensive scope of the work of the school care committees
may be gathered from the following summary by the Paddington Local Association
of the annual reports of 23 children's care (school) committtees in that area for the
year ending 31st March, 1928, taken at random from a number of similar reports
for the various areas.
Report of
the
Paddington
Local
Association.
Meetings and Attendance.—The number of meetings held in the year varies
considerably in the different schools. Excluding Kensal House, where fortnightly
meetings are held throughout the school terms, nine is the largest number recorded,the
smallest being three. This is exclusive of After Care Conferences, and some of the
reports note that general Care Committee business is sometimes dealt with at these.
The attendance is usually stated to be good, the average being about 60 per cent.
Feeding (Dinners, Milk and Oil).—In 10 out of the 23 reports it is stated that no
free dinners have been given ; in 7 no free milk or oil meals ; in the other schools
the numbers in receipt of free meals have been very small. Oil and milk meals
have been given under medical orders, but it has generally been found possible for
the parents to pay for these. When free meals of any kind are given, the families
are said to be frequently and regularly visited, and at the end of the six months'
period the cases are referred to the Chronic and Difficult Cases Sub-Committee.
Very few of the reports give any indication as to the causes which have necessitated
the granting of free meals, but from the individual cases quoted these would appear
to be usually:—(1) Illness of the breadwinner; (2) temporary unemployment of
the same. In most cases the help given is only to tide over an immediate difficulty,
at least in the case of the grant of free dinners ; milk and oil meals are occasionally
given on medical grounds for long periods where the family income appears to be
below scale.
Medical and Dental Treatment.—The reports on this part of the work are very
encouraging; the proportion of cases satisfactorily treated appears to be very
high, and in nearly all the reports reference is made to the greatly improved attitude
of the parents in this matter. One Committee (Essendine road) notes that the cases
requiring treatment are now chiefly among the infants and 8 year olds, while the 12
year old children and leavers are generally healthy. If this can be confirmed from
the other schools, it is a most satisfactory proof that the inspection and treatment
of the younger children is producing excellent results as they grow up and develop.
From many schools there are complaints of the difficulty of following up the large
number of cases reported as needing treatment after a dental inspection. Apparently,
in spite of the improved attitude of the parents generally, towards medical treatment,
there are still some who are hard to convince of the need for dental treatment,
especially for infants, but we note in one of the reports a remark that the need for
the extraction of really badly decayed teeth is now much more rare, which points
to the fact that the early treatment of dental defects is producing a good effect.
One report refers to the difficulty of securing hospital accommodation where an
operation for adenoids or removal of tonsils is necessary. Remission of the cost of
treatment has been made in about 100 cases, chiefly in the cases of families attending
the Amberley road group of schools, situated in a very poor district. In most cases
where remission has been granted, the parents are in receipt of relief from the
guardians.
Spectacles.—A very large number of spectacles have been supplied in the course
of the year. These have generally been paid for by the parents, sometimes by means
of loans which have generally been repaid or are in process of being repaid ; a certain
number have been given free by the help of the Spectacle Fund.
Convalescence and Holidays.—It would appear that about 6-7 per cent. of the
Paddington children are sent away in the course of the year by the agency of
Care Committees. This includes those who go to Bushy or Bournemouth, and those
sent away by the C.C.H.F. or the Sea and Sun Club. Two of the large schools,