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Home and Office Interviews
Welfare Officers spent nearly all their time on this social work
service. Visits were made to people who had contacted the department
directly themselves or through their relatives, or at the request
of hospitals, general practitioners, other sections of the Department
or other Departments, such as Health Visitors, the School Health
Service, the Housing Department; or through voluntary agencies
such as Old People's Welfare Associations and organisations for
the physically handicapped. All these people were brought to the
attention of the section because of some social or personal need.
Sometimes the work of the officer concerned was arranging services
for them; for instance, aids or adaptations to the home for physically
handicapped people, a place at the Training Centre and transport
there for a mentally subnormal child, accommodation in a
welfare home for an elderly person needing care and attention,
temporary accommodation for a homeless family. Very often,
though, help from the welfare officer was needed over a long period
and for complex difficulties arising from, for instance, discharge
from psychiatric hospital, or support in coming to terms with the
onset of blindness, or family crisis brought on by threat of eviction.
Emergency Service
In addition to this continuing social work with families and
individuals under stress, a 24-hour emergency service was provided
for those needing immediate psychiatric hospital treatment, and for
families and individuals finding themselves homeless. A mental
welfare officer was on call through the local psychiatric hospital,
Warley Hospital, at all times.
During office hours, a rota system operated so that a mental
welfare officer was always available for emergency mental welfare
work, and a social welfare officer was available to see unexpected
callers with other welfare needs.
Other special cases of homelessness from fire, or with unusual
property aspects, were investigated by the Deputy Principal Welfare
Officer.