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69
The majority of people for whom residential accommodation is
provided are elderly, and the main difficulty in their placement is
simply pressure of numbers.
In the case of persons who are physically disabled, the
problem is much greater and the difficulty in finding suitable places
in voluntary or other local authority homes increases annually.
The Borough Council has in its Ten Year Programme a scheme
for the erection of a purpose-built home for physically handicapped
persons, but it is not anticipated that a start will be made on this
project until after 1972.
The homes for the elderly provided by the Maiden and Coombe
Old People's Welfare Committee, the Surbiton Red Cross Society and the
Surbiton Housing Society, as well as the other facilities provided by
these organisations, make a most valuable contribution.
Residential Accommodation in other Local Authorities' Homes
65 old people from the borough are accommodated by other local
authorities. Many of these arrangements were taken over ft?om the Surrey
County Council. Owing to the very acute shortage of vacancies the
Borough Council is greatly indebted to several other local authorities
who have assisted with emergency vacancies when it has not been possible
to provide accommodation locally, and thanks are tendered to these
authorities for their generous help. 70 residents in the Borough
Council's homes are the responsibility of other local authorities.
All residents outside the borough for which this authority
has accepted financial responsibility are visited once a year by
welfare officers from the authority in whose area the home is situated,
and a report is submitted to the Chief Welfare Officer.
Registration and Inspection of Private Homes for the Disabled
and the Elderly
Under Section 37 of the National Assistance Act 1948, the
Council is responsible for the registration and inspection of disabled
persons' and old people's homes, and there are four registered voluntary
homes and thirteen registered old people's homes within the borough.
Included in the thirteen is one new small home that was granted
registration during the year. One small private home closed during
the year. Two homes changed hands and were re-registered after investigation
and inspection.
The registered homes have been regularly inspected and have
continued to run satisfactorily. Thirty-two visits were made during
the year.