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56
Number recommended for schools for E.S.N, children 1
Number recommended for change of day school 2
Number recommended for Open Air School 2
Number recommended for Speech Therapy 2
Number recommended for Hospital O.P.D. 15
Number recommended for Care of County 1
Number recommended for admission to day school 1
50
In November an experimental arrangement was introduced for
a Psychiatric Social Worker to attend at Infant Welfare and
School Clinics. Some prejudice exists in the minds of parents with
regard to formal referral to a Child Guidance Clinic and it is hoped
that by meeting a member of the Child Guidance staff in the familiar
atmosphere of the clinic this may be overcome.
SCHOOL DENTAL SERVICE
The Staffing Position.
In my report for 1952 I stated that no improvement in the
staffing position had occurred during 1952. This year a marked
improvement in recruitment of dental officers has taken place, and
as a result of this advance I do not feel I am being over optimistic
when I say that the School Dental Service in this area is now out
of the doldrums and at last making steady progress. There is of
course, as a direct result of the poor staffing position in recent years,
a vast amount of leeway to be made up. This backlog of work
will gradually be accomplished provided the staff of dental officers
can be brought up to the established strength, held at that figure
for a number of years and then increased to bring the number of
school children allocated to each dental officer to a figure in the
region of 2,500. The present figure of 4,600 children per dental
officer is far too high ; and even with a full staff the figure would
still be approximately 4,000 children per dental officer. This will
allow only a portion of the children to obtain complete treatment,
and a comprehensive dental service to be efficient should aim at a
minimum of an annual inspection and offer of full treatment, if
required, for all children within its area.
During the year two full-time and two part-time dental
officers were appointed to the staff. This brings the present
strength to the equivalent of nearly five full-time dental officers.
As the majority of these appointments were not made until the
second half of the year, the full effect upon the statistical return
will not be apparent in the present figures. Towards the end of
the year a new part-time orthodontist was appointed, to replace
another part-time orthodontist who is at present on extended
leave.