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95
up could often be prevented and the family helped to overcome
their many problems, and thus prevent much unnecessary
physical and mental suffering to their children. This aspect
of the work involves liaison with the man's employer, frequent
visits to the family to encourage confidence and to counteract
outside harmful influences.
(c) Potential Homeless families.
These can be grouped as under:-
(1) Family quarrels.
(2) Separation of families.
(3) The current prevalent attitude that to be admitted
to a Receiving Home is a short cut to municipal
re-housing.
It is generally accepted amongst many families that to be
admitted to a Receiving Home is the easiest way out of their
difficulties. Indeed, in some cases the parents or a landlady
advise the family on these lines. They hear of other
families who, after a short time in a Receiving Home, are
rehoused, and without taking into consideration the many
factors involved decide to try the same procedure. There are
those instances also of a genuine desire to get the family
together where separation has occurred due to previous hardship.
It is obviously not possible to put all families into a
particular category, consideration and advice being necessary
to individual families to help them to overcome their individual
problems.
(d) Summary
In my opinion the work of rehabilitation involves much
more than work in Receiving Homes. Many visits are necessary
to problem families wherever they are to be found, to help
them to keep a fair standard in their own homes, and to thus
prevent their admission to Receiving Homes. There is certainly
scope for this work to be continued and enlarged, and
early action will in many cases prevent family break-up or
need for admission to a Receiving Home.
These families appear to need help with all matters of
household management, particularly the financial implication
of rent, hire purchase and sundry other debts.