London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Dagenham 1959
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Dagenham]
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handicapped school-leavers
and after-care
A survey of school leavers has been made by the school nurses to find out how much more medical and social help is needed in each case, and whether or not they are still employed. A summary of this survey is given below:—
| Defect | Male | Female | Working Satisfactorily | Unsatisfactory work | Not Working | Need Help | Sheltered Employment | T raining | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Socially | Medical | ||||||||
| Heart | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 |
| Delicate | 8 | 8 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 |
| Deaf | 1 | — | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Partially Deaf | 1 | 2 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Blind | 1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| Partially Sighted | 2 | 2 | 4 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Cerebral Palsy | 3 | 4 | 1 | — | 5 | 2 | — | 1 | — |
| Epileptic | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| E.S.N | 21 | 14 | 27 | 1 | 5 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 |
| Physically Handicapped e.g. Polio, Congenital defects | 13 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 2 | - | 2 | 4 |
| Maladjusted | 1 | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Speech | 2 | — | 2 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — |
| Totals | 58 | 45 | 63 | 7 | 20 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 8 |
The table shows that of the 103 children seen, 58 male and 45 female, 63 are in
satisfactory employment, 7 are doing unsatisfactory work, 5 are in sheltered employment,
8 are in training establishments and 20 are not working; 8 need further medical or social
help.
At the school leaving interview the children considered to be unemployable are
referred to the Welfare Department of the County which leads us on to the vexed question
of welfare provision by the local authorities under the National Assistance Act, 1948.
The handicapped school leaver is the end product of a carefully designed but complicated
system of ascertainment and provisions by the Education and Health Departments
ot local authorities. This system, built up over the years by the Education and School
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