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1ll
Foot Clinic. The clinic in Finsbury Health Centre, employing four full-time and
also part-time chiropodists as required, continued to provide a service much in
demand.
Our thanks are due to the staffs of the various local organisations for their
help during the year.
Division 4, comprising the boroughs of Hackney, Shoreditch and Stoke Newington.
Dr. S. King reports:—
Day Nurseries. The heavy pressure on day nursery accommodation has continued,
and the waiting list increased during the year to nearly 700, so that there is
now approximately one child awaiting admission for each place provided.
Owing to the lack of open spaces in Shoreditch, no facilities in the vicinity of
the two day nurseries in that borough could be provided for the outdoor recreation
of the nursery children. Arrangements were accordingly made for the children to
be taken daily during fine weather to parks in adjoining boroughs.
Seven private day nurseries, providing 217 places, have been registered under
the Nurseries and Child-Minders Regulation Act, 1948.
Child-minders. Three child-minders have also been registered under the Act
for the daily care of 31 children.
At the commencement of the year the Council's scheme for the voluntary
registration of child-minders was put into operation in the Division ; 32 women
were registered by the end of the year and the number was increasing.
Domestic Help Service. This service was already well developed in the three
boroughs of the Division before 5th July, 1948, and had considerably increased by
the end of that year. It was necessary constantly to review the cases being assisted
in order to ensure that the available help was spread over the maximum number of
households.
Over 1,800 applications for home help were received during the year, and
assistance was provided each week in approximately 1,500 households. Of the home
helps employed in the Division, 26 qualified during the year for the diploma of the
National Institute of Houseworkers.
Premature Baby Scheme. An experimental scheme for securing the proper care
and supervision of premature babies has been introduced in the Division. Advice
and instruction are given in the home by health visitors specially trained in the care
of premature infants, and mothers are asked to bring these infants to a premature
baby session held weekly for examination at ages 4, 8 and 12 months. A special
statistical investigation is being conducted in conjunction with the scheme.
Premises and Equipment. Considerable improvements have been made in the
various premises, such as the provision of additional sinks in day nursery kitchens
where only one sink previously existed, provision of refrigerators and sandpits where
necessary, replacement of outworn linoleum, redecoration of kitchens and milkrooms,
and the supply of additional educational play equipment.
The annual programme provided for the internal and external redecoration of
3 day nurseries, a maternity and child welfare centre and a bathing centre, but this
work had not been completed by the end of the year.
Child Welfare Sessions at School Treatment Centres. The child welfare facilities
in the Hackney Wick area were improved by transferring the work from a church
hall to the unused first floor of the Wick school treatment centre, and in Shoreditch
by commencing a weekly half-day session in the Hoxton school treatment centre.
The latter arrangement helps to satisfy temporarily a need for additional centre