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112
Particulars of the attendances at these Centres are given in the table on
page 142. Approximately 80 per cent of all the infants under one year of age
visited the Centres during the year, the average number of attendances made
being 14. Both the percentage of infants visiting and the average number of
attendances were higher than during 1930.
The total number of attendances of children under five years of age at the
Centres was approximately 41,000 and was greater than in any previous year
with the exception of 1928, when a slightly larger number of total attendances
was recorded.
The assistance rendered by the Students now attending the Department
has made it possible to extend the educational work at the Centres and demonstrations
of model clothing and of model meals have been arranged, and talks
given to the mothers on a variety of health subjects. In the section of this
report dealing with the Dental Hospital, reference will be found to the Dental
Hygienist who is now working in that Department. With the object of teaching
mothers the importance of the care of their own and their children's teeth,
this lady now attends the Welfare Centres regularly and gives talks sometimes
illustrated by a dental film.
A new and better filing system was introduced in the early part of the
year covered by this report. Under this system children are entered in
attendance registers under the year of their birth so that it is now possible to
extract without difficulty, information as to the ages of children attending the
centres and to the number of attendances that any individual child has made
in the course of the year.
Students.
The arrangement referred to in the last report under which five Students
from the National Health Society attend the Maternity and Child Welfare
Department on Tuesday and Thursday each week, was continued throughout
the year. These Students, who are preparing for the examination
for the Health Visitor's certificate, receive practical instruction in
all branches of the work, and as they become more experienced are of real
assistance in the routine work of the Department.
At their meeting in June, 1931, the Council approved a scheme under
which four Probationer Health Visitors were to be appointed under the
following conditions:—
(1) Probationers to be appointed for one year in the first instance.
(2) The persons appointed must be trained nurses, and hold the certificate
of the Central Midwives' Board.
(3) Salary, £100 per annum.
(4) Probationers to receive training in all branches of maternity and
Child Welfare work.