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62
In the section of my report dealing with "Problem Families"
I mention the good results achieved by selected home help
working with families where there has been imminent risk of
family breakdown. This type of service, which combines much
needed domestic assistance with a demonstration of what can be
done with the money and equipment available in the home itself
is perhaps an imitation of the scheme introduced by the Family
Service Units.
It overcomes their main difficulty of recruiting personnel
as most Home Help sections have members who have learnt the
necessary skills from hard experience, and are willing to cop
for a temporary period with very primitive conditions as
personal contribution to promoting family welfare. To accept such
cases adds considerably to the responsibilities of the Super
visors and in times of heavy pressure, for example, outbreaks
influenza, there may have to be suspension of the scheme to meet
more urgent calls.
With an efficient Home Help Service, working in close cooperation
with other departments and voluntary organisations,
presents no major administrative difficulties. A plus rate with
the extra hours of service concerned is the only additions
expense and seconded staff can be re-absorbed into ordinary work
as required, so that stand-by payments are avoided. During the
year under review, a total of 600 hours was given to this service
To help in keeping large families at home in the temporal
absence of the mother, a system of extended service was intro
duced. Volunteers from amongst the home helps give whatever hour
of daytime cover may be necessary on a weekly wage basis with
compensatory paid leave. We have not met the necessity for resi
dent help, which seems to carry definite risks. It has alway
so far been possible for the father, assisted if necessary, by
relative to be with the children during the night. Even shift
workers can generally have a temporary re-arrangement of their
duties, if suitable approach is made to the employers concerned
Finally, it is becoming customary for the home help to be
the most regular contact with old persons living alone. Working
sometimes on her own and sometimes with the District Nurse, she
is fast becoming an indispensable aid in keeping old persons in
their own homes.
In several cases where old people have been recommended for
removal for suitable institutional care (Section 47, Nations
Assistance Act, 1948), action has been avoided by the use of
home helps. Some patients have then agreed to hospital admission
and others have been able to remain in their own homes care
for by the domiciliary services.