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PERSONAL HEALTH
capped children were quickly and successfully integrated into the group
which they joined and derived great benefit from being placed among normal
children.
Nurseries and
Child Minders
Local health authorities are required to make arrangements for the keeping
of registers and the supervision of nurseries and child minders.
Nurseries and Child
Minders Regulation Act
1948, as amended by the
Health Services and
Public Health Act 1968
During 1970 the number of registered premises (private day nurseries and
playgroups) increased from sixty with places for 1,675 children, to 69 with
places for 1,961 children. At the same time, the number of registered child
minders increased from 176 approved to take 387 children, to 237 approved
to take 424 children.
Applications for registration as child minders were also received from 64
persons who, for various reasons, decided at a later date to withdraw their
applications. One application to register as a child minder was refused.
The Council continued to assist in meeting the increasing demands for the
day care of pre-school children by making available, where possible,
premises for the use of private playgroups; by the employment of a part-time
playgroup organiser; and by making an annual grant to the local branch
of the Pre-school Playgroups Association with whom regular meetings continued
to be held to discuss ways of improving and expanding this service.
The course for playgroup leaders run by the Education Committee, and
consisting of attendance for one day a week for an academic year, continued
to be very popular, and arrangements were made to hold a similar course
at a second centre in the borough. The Education Committee also continued
to provide evening courses for playgroup leaders.
In the autumn, a series of six informal evening meetings for child minders
was held at one of the Council's clinics. The programme each evening
included a film or a talk followed by discussion on the problems encountered
in looking after young children, legislation on child minders, play and play
material, dental health, and simple first aid. Attendances were small, but
those child minders who came found the course stimulating and enjoyable.
Children in Care
There are in the borough two residential nurseries under the control of the
Children's Department and providing places for thirty-one children.
By arrangement with the Children's Officer, each child is medically examined
by the Council's medical officers on admission, after every three months,
and on discharge. Dental care and immunisation are also arranged by the
Health Department. In the ordinary way, general medical services are
provided by general medical practitioners.
Children placed with foster parents are given statutory, supervisory and
general medical care by general medical practitioners but in some cases
the statutory medical examination and the examinations for certification of
freedom from infection are carried out by the Council's medical officers.
Co-ordination of
Personal Services
The co-ordinating committee, consisting of nominated officers from each of
the departments concerned — Town Clerk's, Health, Children's, Welfare,
Housing, and Education — continued to meet throughout the year.
Two meetings for field staff were held at Bowes Road Clinic, and two films,
one entitled "John" and the other "Jane''. were shown. These films
illustrate the effect on children of being taken into care.
Problem Families
At the end of the year there were eighteen families on the register of
"problem families Twelve new families had been added to the register
during the year and eleven families were receiving continuing supportive
care at the end of the year. Two families were rehoused during 1970.
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