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"AT RISK" RE3ISTER
The "At Risk" Register, or as it is now known "Observation Register", was
commenced in May, 1966. A selection was made, compiled from hospital maternity
reports and other sources such as reports from domiciliary midwives, of those
children who may require a little more detailed supervision and care than the
average child during their first year of life. During this, the most important
phase of their physical, emotional and mental development, an assessment of
progress is made at periodic intervals while the health visitor on her home
visits supports the mother in every possible way.
The list of "at risk" children may be augmented by health visitors, clinic
doctors or general practitioners in appropriate cases.
Children are fairly tough, and though perhaps environmental and obstetrical
factors may be against them at birth, at the end of the first year we find that
approximately 75% of this selected group will no longer be considered "at risk"
but will have adapted themselves to a normal, steady and stable developments
The 25% remaining in this group at the end of the first year now remain on the
"Observation Register" for a more continuous period of special care and
observation.
Those children with a definite handicap such as deafness, blindness or
other measurable defect, have now been transferred to our "Handicapped Register."
Many authorities who have been carrying out this procedure for a much
longer period than ourselves have become rather critical of the system and its
value. Perhaps in two or three years' time we will be able to give a more
accurate assessment of its value.
We are now becoming more and more interested in the mental deviations which
may be present, but it is extremely difficult to detect these.
In this work of observation regarding the "At Risk" Register, the health
visitor and the clinic doctor form a team, and with the help of the central
office staff who send out the reminder letters, we hope to ensure that each
child with a potential handicap within the Borough will be discovered as early
as possible so that it gets every opportunity of having the effect of its
handicap minimised.
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