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6. CARE OF THE UNSUPPORTED MOTHER AND
HER CHILD
Under Section 22 of the National Health Service Act, the Council is responsible
for the care of the unsupported mother and her child. The majority of these mothers are
unmarried but a few are separated or homeless. Two medical social workers are
employed to advise such mothers and their families of the services available to support
them in planning the future for themselves and their children. The mother, her
parents and sometimes the putative father are offered a personal casework service to
enable them to understand something of the causes of the present situation and to
prevent further social breakdown in the future. The medical social workers have a
responsibility for the care of girls needing help who reside in the Borough and also,
by a special arrangement, for those living in the boroughs of Hounslow and Hillingdon.
They are referred to the department's medical social workers by medical social
workers in hospitals, health visitors, general practitioners, and other social workers,
including the staff of the National Council for the Unmarried Mother and her Child,
to whom many unmarried mothers write for help in the first instance. As the service
is becoming more widely known some girls contact the medical social workers themselves
or are referred by their employers or families.
During the ante-natal period the medical social worker advises on employment,
accommodation, finance and adoption procedure. If required she will arrange a Mother
and Baby Home booking and will co-operate with the general practitioner and the
hospital where the confinement will take place. Following the delivery, while the
mother is resident in the Mother and Baby Home the medical social worker will put
her in touch with an Adoption Agency or alternatively help the girl to make constructive
plans to keep her baby. Preventive after-care following the girl's return home is
carried on wherever possible, but since a full-time social worker was not available
for part of the year, little in this direction could be undertaken. During the year, the
department helped 181 unsupported mothers from Ealing, 75 from Hounslow and 71
from Hillingdon.
The Council has its own mother and baby home to which the unsupported mother
can be admitted, usually six weeks before confinement and six weeks after delivery.
It can accommodate 12 ante-natal patients and 14 post-natal patients and babies.
During the year steps have been taken to improve both the furnishing of this
home and the facilities available there. Ante-natal and mothercraft classes are given
by the Matron since many girls lack the knowledge of the basic domestic skills.
Occupational therapy classes are held weekly, where the girls learn dressmaking,
knitting and other accomplishments. The Council's medical social workers give support
in what is a very difficult time for such mothers.
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