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60
The Night Attendant Service continues to be available, and a
small number of attendants are on the register. Fewer calls have
been made on this service and often patients were admitted to
hospital within a short period. No applicant has had to be refused.
CHELMSFORD DIOCESAN MORAL WELFARE ASSOCIATION
The 'Carville Home', at 43, West Avenue Road. E. 17, is a home
for unmarried mothers and their babies, and is administered by the
Walthamstow Deanery Branch of the above Association. The home
provides accommodation for a total of 16 mothers and their babies.
Miss E. Williams, previously Superintendent of the home, retired
at the end of 1962 after 17 years in Walthamstow, and has contributed
the following notes:-
"Looking back over 17 years one is conscious of many changes in
social work. Carville Moral Welfare Shelter, as it was then called,
took care of girls on remand, children in need of care and protection
and also whose mothers were in hospital. Much of this vork is
now done by the Children's Department of the County Council.
The night bell was kept busy in those days. Many thought that
with the coming of the Children's Act, 1948, the day of voluntary
work carried out by the church and others was over, but events
proved this not to be the case. The problem of the unmarried mother
and her child became apparent on a much larger scale. The local
authorities have a statutory obligation to care for unmarried mothers
and their babies, but because our homes were already in existence and
because of our vocation and special training we were in a position to
help, and the County Council delegated their statutory responsibility
to the Diocesan Moral Welfare Association by making an annual grant
towards the maintenance of the homes.
I look back before the centralising of local government to working
in my early days with the Health Department of Walthamstow
Borough Council: this was team work at its best. Dr. A.T.W. Powell,
who was then Medical Officer of Health, put me in touch with those
who were in a position to be of assistance in the days immediately
following the war. Miss A.C. Keenan, who was at that time Super
intendent Health Visitor, gave me all the help and advice at her
disposal, finding foster mothers and homes. The Health Visitor was
always welcome, and this good will and kindness has continued until
my retirement.
During my 35 years in moral welfare work some thousands of
adults and babies have passed through my care, either in the home or
through outdoor case work. Many of these babies have now grown up
and married and have been in touch with me, and I do know their reaction
to the status of illegitimacy. Is society not making too
light of this problem? My experience has made me realise how
important it is to educate girls to think for themselves as we did
at Carville. How much wiser it would be to do this earlier and
prevent so much unhappiness."