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23.
this up by keeping them in employment. Obviously in some
cases, it is unable to create within normal industry, the
right employment. Yet it is so important to start them right.
A process of trial and error will only increase their
handicaps. What then,if the Service fails? Some may go into
sheltered communities, where it does not matter if they are
not economically self-supporting,and where work is created
for them. Certain handicaps have better organised facilities
for this than others, but good as these are, the young
people are being denied the privileges of normal society.
Some welfare authorities are able to provide small units
where a few people of varying handicaps may work together as
a unit of production, while living at home. These are
invaluable, but also extremely rare. In many places, the
Welfare Officers are so thin on the ground that they count
themselves fortunate if they can call twice a year upon each
individual; of what value is this? Perhaps new equipment is
needed and may even be replaced - but what care can be given?
They are not even specialists in problems characteristic of
normal youth. Can they, or the Youth Employment Service, go
to work with the youngster for repeated spells to size up his
problems and keep him at it? Can either really be the prop
on which at any time he may lean? Can either, in other cases,
take 'devised' work to the home, instruct and care for the
young person? The Youth Employment Service and the Ministry
of Labour, have, within their establishments, officers who do
specialise to a great degree in assisting the handicapped,
but can never go to such lengths as these. Some young people
are, therefore, homebound, workless, draining in confidence
and ability, virtually written off everything except the
finances of the National Assistance Board. Fortunately, they
are not many. They are still too many.
How can the situation be improved? Primarily, by making
one person only responsible for the care of a youngster. A
succession of callers asking for repetition of extremely
personal and private case histories and leaving with a pat on
the head and vague words of assurance is just not good enough.
The one person must care, be able to spend as much time as the
case needs, and in a sense, acting in loco parentis and as a
mediator between the young person and all the assisting
agencies. It follows that this should be a locally based
person, well acquainted with the medical and/or psychological
aspects of a case, able to educate the parents - of whom more
presently - and to assist the young person to adjust himself
to society directly, rather than through too many agencies.