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71
Also included for the forthcoming year in the Ten-Year
Plan was an extension to Pircroft, 96 Ditton Road, Surbiton, to
provide accommodation for 24 extra residents and to bring the
existing accommodation up to Ministry of Health standards for both
residents and staff, but the Council decided that this project
should be withdrawn from the estimates for 1966/67 in view of the
need for financial economies.
Staff
Great difficulty has been experienced in the recruitment
of suitable staff for the residential homes. Non-resident daily
staff find that the shift work does not fit in with their private
lives and the ready availability of more congenial work with regular
hours at the many industrial establishments within the borough adds
to the difficulties„
So far as residential staff is concerned, recruitment has
been greatly hampered by the lack of accommodation of a standard
nowadays demanded by staff. The staff bedrooms are generally small
and ill equipped and there are virtually no facilities for the entertainment
of relatives or friends when off duty. However ways and
means of improving these facilities without detriment to the number
of beds occupied by residents will be sought and put into effect as
and when possible.
Homes Administered by Voluntary Organisations
Many voluntary organisations maintain their own homes for
aged persons who satisfy their individual requirements for admission,
for example, past profession, religion or domicile, and the
accommodation thu3 provided makes a valuable contribution to the
welfare of the old people„ To offset the acute shortage of
vacancies within the borough considerable use has been made of these
facilities, including holiday provision, during the year under review,
the Council accepting financial responsibility in each case for
maintenance costs.