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78
Meetings between the Children's Officers of the London Boroughs
have proved to be of great practical value. Case conferences within the
Borough's services have also been very helpful, but as the offices are now
adjacent and the staff so well known to each other, the conferences are
replaced by an even swifter action of personal consultation between
members of the staff concerned.
At Christmas it was possible for the Children's Home at 229 The
Heights to be closed, and 7a Gaylor Road remained opened in cases of
emergencies, but all the children went away for the actual Christmas
weekend.
During the summer holidays the staff and children of 7a Gaylor
Road went away for a seaside holiday, whilst the staff and children of
229 The Heights remained at home, taking day trips. In addition holidays
were arranged for several of the children.
There has been no change in the Staff of the Children's Homes, there
being the same housemothers and deputies as were there when the Homes
were opened: 7a Gaylor Road, on the 8th September 1956, and 229 The
Heights on the 13th April 1957.
Several sites were considered for the erection of a Reception Unit, but
for varying reasons a suitable one was not obtained.
The relationship between the Probation Department and the Juvenile
Court continues to be a very close and cordial one and it is of great
assistance to this department.
The inner departmental relationships are excellent. The Children's
section receives close co-operation and helpful advice from all the
departments of the service which it has to call upon in varying circumstances.
Home Office Circular 137/1966
In order to ensure that doctors examining children on the Authority's
behalf were aware of the need to report fully on each child's condition,
the Secretary of State in Home Office Circular No. 137/1966, asked
Local Authorities to review their arrangements for the provision of
medical reports on children in care.
As a result, suitable amendments were made in the forms of report, so
that information was included of any abnormality, injury or apparent
injury found during the examination, whatever the alleged cause and
however unimportant it may seem clinically.