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16. HOME HELP SERVICE
The Home Help Service is provided by the Council under Section 29 of the National Health
Service Act. Four types of service are provided:-
(1) The Standard Service
This provides help in acute illness, at home confinements, for tuberculosis cases, and for
the chronic sick and aged. The major part of the case load is composed of the chronic
sick.
(2) Family Help Service
This is to support the family when the mother is either temporarily absent from home, or
due to inadequacy or some other reason is unable to cope with her family duties. The
family help service may be residential or non-residential.
(3) The Good Neighbour Service
This is an arrangement by which regular help is given by a neighbour working under the Home
Help scheme.
(4) The Night Service
This operates from 11 p. m. to 7 a. m. to give relief to the family of seriously ill patients.
The case load of the service during the year was as follows:-
Types of patients assisted No.
Chronic sick, aged and tuberculosis 2,595
Maternity 247
Others 212
Family help 10
The establishment of home helps is 260 which is partly filled by 349 part-time and 12 full-time
staff to give an equivalent of 227 full-time home helps.
Due to the Prices and Incomes Policy it was still not possible fully to implement the reorganisation
recommended in previous reports. The basic rate payable to Home Helps was increased during the
year to 5s 9½d. per hour. This increase did not noticeably improve recruitment.
The mobile squad introduced in late 1967 has been in use throughout the year and proved itself
a valuable addition to the service.
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