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42
handicapped person and his family and social relationships so as to
give appropriate help". The report recommended the setting up of
courses at technical colleges to provide the necessary training in
theory and practice, the latter to be carried out under the supervision
of professionally trained workers selected by college
authorities.
During the year, which covers part of two academic years,
a firm link has been established with Croydon Technicl College,
following the request by the Lecturer in Charge of the Course of
Social Work Training that suitably qualified staff should act as
supervisors to the college's students,, Three members of staff have
acted in this capacity and five students were placed within the
department, as follows; one first-year student with the principal
mental welfare officer, one first-year and one second-year student
with the senior social welfare officer, and two second-year students
with a psychiatric social worker at the child guidance clinic. A
second-year student who completed training at the college in July
1965, was subsequently appointed to the staff of the child guidance
clinic as a social welfare officer.
MIDWIFERY SERVICE
Mothers confined at home were cared for by 10 full-time
midwives, 4 other full-time staff who devoted part of their time to
home nursing and 3 part-time maternity nurses„ These were staff
employed by the thorough Council and supervised by a non-medical
supervisor and deputy, both of whom combined their posts with supervisory
posts in the home nursing service.
These midwives attended 618 domiciliary confinements and
cared for a further 313 patients who were discharged from hospitals
within ten days after confinement. They summoned medical aid in
76 cases.
During the year 1,732 confinements took place in hospitals
in the borough so that the domiciliary midwives dealt with 26.3% of
all births occurring, and the hospital service with 73.7%.
Training
The training of midwives includes a period of three months
with local authority midwives who have been approved as teachers.
There were eight midwives who had been so approved in the borough's
service, and during the year twentyfour pupil midwives received
their three months' training.