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40
HEALTH EDUCATION AND HOME SAFETY
Miss D. S. Elliott, S.R.N., H. V. Cert., Dip. H.E.
Health Education Officer
The health education section has tried to remain 'in statu
quo' in spite of changes in the team and during the integration
of existing services into the larger London Borough of Croydon.
Opportunities were made to welcome staff from the new part
of the town, often by meeting formally and informally in the
health education unit; there its purpose and the help that could
be given to them was explained by the staff and there were
demonstrations of the types of teaching and reference material
which are always at their disposal.
One assistant health education officer has been made responsible
for the southern part of the town. To prevent staff from
that area from wasting time by calling at the central office for
equipment a small subsidiary office has been opened at 115,
Brighton Road. The assistant health education officer attends
there every Wednesday morning and on other occasions as necessary,
and is available for reference, advice, encouragement,
taking orders for equipment and introducing new visual aids.
There are now twelve toddlers' clinics at which, beside
medical examinations conducted by doctors, proper discussion
groups organised by health visitors and dealing with mental,
physical and social subjects, are running regularly. The parents
in the majority of these groups are given the opportunity to
suggest the subjects in which they are most interested, for the
programmes this is an important educational principle and the
subjects chosen usually coincide fairly closely with those which
the professional staff would have suggested and it has been
found that there is never any shortage of ideas.
Public knowledge about the extent of the environmental,
personal and school health services and how they may be used is
still very poor and an increasing number of talks have been
given by members of the respective staffs to all kinds of groups
during the year.
One assistant health education officer trained in the Marie
Stopes Memorial Clinic in contraceptive techniques is working in
co-operation with the Croydon Family Planning Clinic in explaining
the social aspects of Family Planning to women; the department
has purchased a special female pelvis and other material
for demonstration purposes.