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15
handicapped.
The appointment of a Specialist Welfare Officer for the Deaf
and the project of a Training Unit to include training in deaf
welfare for Social Work trainees deserve special mention and
thanks to the Council for the support of its members.
The development of sheltered housing units to supplement the
housing specially provided for the needs of the elderly by the
Council and Housing Associations is gathering momentum in the
Borough but much more needs to be accomplished.
Public Health Services
The report emphasises the need for more routine inspections
to be carrried out at food premises, offices and shops and certain
types of dwellings. The Slum Clearance programme has been
accelerated and co-operation with the Borough Planning Officer in
surveys has led to review and better co-ordination on slum clearance
and redevelopment. Progress in Smoke Control has been
maintained in spite of the pressures of other work in view of the
obvious benefits to environmental health of this Borough and
neighbouring areas both in the short and long term.
The rationalisation of food sampling between neighbouring
authorities is proceeding with the objective of decreasing duplication
of routine sampling, and special co-operative investigations
included one between the London Boroughs to determine the
presence of residual pesticides.
Byelaw requirements for Hairdressers and Barbers added to
the list of visits for registration purposes but is a welcome addition
to hygienic measures.
The problem of fouling of footpaths by dogs ought to be less
in a Borough with so much open space and with such an excellent
record in hygiene.
I commenced this introductory letter by presenting a number
of statistics without commentary but indicating the variety of health
problems from flooding and increasing population of the elderly to
a falling birth rate and problems of health and safety education
which exist in the Borough. Each requires constant review and
evaluation of the services that are provided. The use of more
sophisticated records and the aid of the computer may bring to
the surface more problems than are revealed in the body of this
report. Change is a stimulus and a challenge. No department could
now be better adapted to challenge.
May I conclude by thanking the Heads of Sections and all my
staff for their zeal, hard work and real participation in providing
services for this authority during the past year. At the same time, I