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Recruitment is difficult with competition from industrial and private
concerns. We are fortunate in having a few home helps who have been
with the department for a good few years and have given loyal and devoted
service, but many more are needed! Every effort is made by press advertising
and personal contact by the organisers with local organisations to
encourage recruitment to the service.
Neighbourly Help Scheme introduced in 1961 has proved a useful
adjunct to the Home Help Service. In this scheme the person employed
is paid for a service rather than for any stated number of hours. During
1963 fifteen cases were helped by means of this scheme.
(B) SCHOOL HEALTH AND DENTAL SERVICES
The Middlesex County Council discharges its medical and dental
duties under the Education Act, 1944, by making use of the same staff
employed by the County Council as local health authority. This has the
advantage that doctors and nurses who see the child from 0-5 years will
continue the medical supervision throughout school life. This makes for
the earliest possible detection of defects which may have a bearing on the
child's ability to progress in school and thus enables remedial action to be
taken at a very early age so that the child may then be in a position to
derive the maximum benefit from the education provided. The following
services are provided:—
1. Periodic medical inspection of pupils.
2. Cleanliness surveys of pupils.
3. Dental inspection and treatment.
4. Ascertainment of handicapped pupils in need of special education.
5. Provision of clinics. Children attend these clinics at the request
of the parents or of the teachers or they are referred there by
school medical staff. Treatment for minor ailments is available.
In addition these clinics are used for follow-up observation
examinations of specific defects noted at a previous periodic
medical inspection in school. Special clinics are run for defects of
vision, hearing and speech and also provision is made for children
requiring child guidance treatment. In certain cases by arrangement
with appropriate hospital boards, specialists attend some
of these special clinics.
6. Provision of audiometric sweep testing of all pupils in order to
detect defects in hearing which can pass unnoticed and may be
having an adverse effect on a child's educational progress.
7. Provision of convalescent holidays.
8. Ascertainment of children unsuitable for education.
General provision has been made in the County for three special
units where expert advice and treatment can be obtained for children
afflicted with hearing loss or the defects associated with cerebral palsy.