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63
WELFARE SERVICES
On the 1st April 1965, the Borough became responsible for the
services formerly administered by the County Council which had separate
Health and Welfare Departments. During the year, there were, of course,
many teething problems, but it soon became evident that the ease of
contact and removal of inter-departmental friction resulted in a cooperation
which rendered the public a more united service.
The Borough was fortunate in some respects with the re-allocation
of buildings and projects, but commenced its separate existence with no
accommodation whatsoever for the homeless and this deficiency caused
considerable anxiety during the year. As an emergency measure a large
house in Bessborough Road was adapted and another small house in
Angel Road borrowed from the Housing Committee. By the end of the
year, with other projects in hand, the situation was easier, though far from
solved.
With regard to welfare services for the handicapped, there were by
1st April 1965 a number of home adaptations waiting to be done. Considerable
efforts were made to eliminate the long waiting list and, by the end of
the year, it was reasonable to hope that most of the work would be in
hand by the middle of 1966. During the course of the year many mechanical
aids were provided both for the physically handicapped, the blind and the
partially-sighted members of the community.
The Borough inherited from the former Middlesex County Council
seven established residential homes, giving accommodation for two hundred
and eighty-one persons, and two projects for purpose-built homes due
to be completed within twelve months. Of the established homes all were
outside the Borough save one, and this only provided accommodation for
twenty women who were not infirm. Only three homes had facilities to care
for infirm residents which provided seventy-one male and ninety-six female
beds. One of the new projects, Vernon Lodge, opened on 6th December
1965.
Statistics in this section of the Report will only refer to the period
following the 1st April 1965, and I am pleased to report that whilst much
remains to be done, considerable progress has been made in the nine
months of separate existence.
Provision of Temporary Accommodation for Families rendered homeless
It was the original intention of the National Assitance Act 1948 that
accommodation of a temporary nature should only be provided for families
rendered homeless by such causes as fire, flood, etc. This service has now
been extended to provide help for families whose need has arisen through a
variety of causes. Assistance is given in many ways and relatively few
families actually require accommodation.
Social Work
Financial mismanagement and desertion are frequently the causative
factors, whilst overcrowding and mental strain is likely to develop where
relatives have had to provide shelter.