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37
In future Harrow will undertake responsibility for the practical three
months' supervised training of integrated students, and will help with
some fieldwork placements.
Health visitors attend refresher courses every five years to keep up to
date with new trends in their work. During 1968 three health visitors were
seconded and a case presentation course was attended by one health
visitor for eight days at Chiswick Polytechnic.
Discussion Groups
Discussions with a psychiatrist have continued for the whole year.
Informal discussions in groups of 6-8 health visitors, child care officers
and other social workers take place once a week. These discussions give
the staff the opportunity to receive special guidance with family problems
in the community and have proved to be of great value to the health
visitors. All health visitors attend in turn, on a rota system, the group
remaining the same over a period of twelve months. Each group attends
every six weeks.
A further discussion group has been taking place in the Child Guidance
Clinic under the guidance of the psychiatrist, Dr. Hood. A small group
of health visitors has attended fortnightly together with representatives of
the probation service and mental welfare officers.
Liaison with Group Practices
A health visitor has continued to visit a group practice weekly in the
Edgware district of the Borough. She attends the practitioners' baby
clinic, and carries out geriatric visits.
Further health visitor liaison arrangements have been made with
general practices in North and South Harrow. Closer understanding and
co-operation, benefiting the patients, has been established through these
liaison arrangements.
Preparation for Confinement
Mothercraft and relaxation classes continue to be held in all clinics
by the health visitors, and 8-9 classes are given to expectant mothers during
their pregnancy in preparation for the confinement. Full instructions to the
expectant mothers in the skills of baby management, different stages of
labour, analgesia, diet, immunisation, etc., are given.
Film evenings are arranged in three clinics during the year for
expectant mothers and their husbands, to show the birth of a baby. The
health visitor introduces the film and answers questions after the film.
Sixteen evening films have been shown in 1968.
As in previous years, fathercraft classes are arranged at the Caryl
Thomas Clinic and Cecil Park Clinic. The course consists of three lectures
in preparation for the new duties of the husband in the management of a
small baby. Husbands are prepared for emergencies in the home and
receive advice to support the young mother following the confinement.