View report page

18
(vii) Nurses Agencies Act 1957.
The Essex County Council on application by the Ilford Council,
delegated to them, the powers conferred upon the County Council by
the Act, subject to certain conditions.
Agencies are inspected before the issue of a licence, and thereafter
at intervals of not more than once a quarter.
The Medical Officer of Health and Deputy are authorised under Section
3(2) to enter and inspect any such licensed premises in the Borough.
No application for a licence was received during 1957.
(viii) National Assistance Act, 1948.—The County Welfare Officer
has kindly supplied me with the following information.
"The County Welfare Committee is responsible to the County Council
for functions under Part III of the National Assistance Act, 1948, the
main aspects being:—
(a) the provision of residential and temporary accommodation, and
(b) welfare arrangements for blind and other handicapped persons.
The following statistics show the extent to which the main services
provided by the County Welfare Committee under the National Assistance
Act, 1948, have been afforded to persons residing within the Borough of
Ilford during the year 1957:—
(1) Residential and Temporary Accommodation.
(a) Aged persons admitted to hostels and other residential establishments
: —60.
(b) Other persons admitted to residential accommodation:—1.
(c) Persons admitted to temporary accommodation:—
Adults, 7; Children 8:—15.
(2) Blind Persons.
The numbers of registered blind, partially sighted and defective
sighted persons resident in the Borough as at 31st December, 1957,
were as follows:—
(i) Registered as blind 328
(ii) Partially sighted 61
(iii) Defective sighted 12
all of whom were under the supervision of the County Council's Home
Teachers. During the year 7 blind residents participated in the Home
Workers' Scheme operated through the agency of the Royal London
Society for the Blind, and 1 was employed in a Workshop for the
Blind. In addition, 30 blind and 8 partially sighted residents were
employed in open industry. During 1957, 4 blind residents from the
Borough were admitted to homes for the blind.
(3) Deaf or Dumb and other Handicapped Classes.
The Welfare Committee of the County Council has continued to
develop its activities in respect of welfare services for permanently and
substantially handicapped persons (other than blind, as mentioned
above) as provided for under Section 29 of the National Assistance
Act, 1948. and in addition to direct provision such as special equipment
on loan, grants towards the cost of structural adaptations to meet
special needs, etc. the fullest co-operation has been maintained with
specialised organisations in this field of welfare services, many of these
bodies acting as the Council's agents in this connection."
In Ilford the scheme for other handicapped persons has been delegated
to a Sub-Committee of the Ilford Social Service Association of which the
Medical Officer of Health is Chairman.