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185
parents continue to quarrel. The mother did not co-operate with the special home help
and appeared to take little interest in her home or children. The special home help was
withdrawn after five weeks and was replaced by an 'ordinary' home help. The triplets
are doing well and gaining weight.
Family 5. Family consists of father, mother and two children under three years of
age. Dirty flat, undernourished family, wasteful spending, debts, and disharmony
between father and mother. Income adequate, but both parents reckless and money
mis-spent. Potential ' problem family ' in danger of breaking up altogether. Special
home help was supplied from 30 April to 29 September, 1956, when the family had to
vacate the furnished flat they were occupying, and despite every effort to help them
they were unable to find alternative accommodation until 27 October, 1956. During the
intervening four weeks the family lived in temporary accommodation of various kinds
including a caravan, a homeless families' unit and even spent one night in the home of
the special home help. Help in this case was required specially with budgeting and
raising the standard of home keeping. As a result of the help and training given, real
progress is being made in the general standards of cleanliness of both home and clothing,
and in cooking. The mother and children appear to be healthier and happier, and the
father more tolerant and less violent in temper and preferring his home now rather than
the public house. Despite the setback due to housing difficulties, it is believed that this
family have obtained lasting benefit from the special help they have received and both
parents have expressed their appreciation for this. All their debts have been paid and
their attitude towards life and towards each other has been completely changed. The
home help has been a real friend to the family and gained the confidence of the father so
completely that during the period of her service she was helping him to allocate all his
earnings. Further special help to consolidate the immense improvements so far achieved
has been supplied since the end of October 1956 and the improvement has been
maintained.
Family 6. Family consists of father, mother, three children under the age of seven
years and another child living with the grandmother. Father is a coal porter with
reasonably adequate but mismanaged income. Special help provided on account of
mismanagement. Mother an epileptic; very good co-operation and willing to assist
in any way to improve the condition of the home. Special help was received well by the
mother and children, but the father was inclined to be aggressive at times. There has
been improvement in the home which is cleaner and not so muddled, but it is a difficult
and slow process, and a great deal of patience is required on the part of the home help.