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DOMESTIC HELP SERVICE.— During 1962 the heavy demand for
this service continued. The service was controlled by two full-time
organisers, under the general direction of the Area Medical Officer, and
at the end of the year there were 3 full-time, 130 regularly-employed
part-time and 20 casual helps employed. The efforts made to accelerate
recruitment of domestic helps, including periodic advertising of vacancies
in the local press, were beginning to have effect by the end of the year
and this improvement has continued in 1963. The organisers ensure that
the helps available are employed to the best possible advantage to give
some assistance to every case requiring it; this can only be achieved by
allocating most of thehelps to two or three cases in a day.
The following is a summary of the cases dealt with in 1962:-
Number of applications received for assistance 1,525
Number of cases where domestic helps were
provided (including 898 who were having
service at the commencement of the year) 2,102
Number of cases which on investigation were
either not eligible for assistance or did not
require the service 153
Cases booked but subsequently cancelled 58
Number of cases where, at the end of the year,
a domestic help was booked to attend in
future months (maternity cases) 67
Other cases awaiting help at end of year 26
Enquiries incomplete at end of year 17
Cases being served at 31st December, 1962 944
The County Council have authorised the provision of free domestic
help service in all cases where a doctor certifies an expectant mother as
suffering from toxaemia of pregnancy and such assistance is medically
necessary. During 1962 service was given in six cases under this arrangement.
One training course, of two weeks' duration, was held by the County
Council at Chelmsford in 1962. One domestic help from Ilford attended
and she was found to be entirely satisfactory.
NIGHT ATTENDANCE SERVICE.- The service for supplying night
attendants to give some relief to those people called upon to sit up con
stantly at night with sick relatives or friends, or to help sick persons