London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Southall 1964

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Southall]

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Other services are provided by the County Council either directly or through a registered
agency and these include facilities for the placement of blind persons in employment,
courses of residential rehabilitation, training courses for mothers with blind babies, the
supply of embossed literature, special equipment and handicraft materials, assistance in
the disposal of handicrafts and assisted holidays for those in need.
Welfare of Handicapped Persons other than Blind:
Schemes for the welfare of handicapped persons other than blind and partially-sighted
which are operated by the County Council's Welfare Department under the National
Assistance Act, 1948, provide welfare services for the deaf and dumb and hard-of-hearing,
and other persons who are substantially and permanently handicapped by disease, injury
or congenital deformity.
Services to the deaf-and-dumb and the hard-of-hearing are provided by appropriate
Voluntary Organisations, to which the County Council makes grants in aid.
For statutory Welfare purposes, the Borough of Southall now forms part of Area 7,
which includes also the Boroughs of Acton and Ealing. Two full-time Social Workers and
one half-time Social Worker are included in the staff which has been provided by the
County Council's Welfare Department for carrying out social services required, and who
visit those suffering from substantial and permanent handicaps. They work from the Local
Area Welfare Office and the handicapped persons are visited in their own homes with a
view to assisting them to obtain services from statutory or voluntary sources.
The County Council supplies aids and appliances not covered by the National Health
Service and carries out where necessary adaptations to a house to enable a handicapped
person to become more mobile, provides holidays, arranges for the disabled to take part
in social activities, including choral and dancing classes, attend handicraft classes, etc.
Special coaches with a hydraulic hoist to lift wheelchair cases are available for use for social
activities, etc. Advice and guidance regarding personal problems are given and membership
of voluntary organisations catering for particular handicaps is facilitated.
The Industrial Work Organiser endeavours to procure from industry appropriate assembly
work and arranges for this to be carried out by handicapped persons at a Work
Centre or in their own homes where this is considered to be suitable and of assistance to
the individuals concerned.
At 31st December, 1964, 94 residents of the Borough were registered as generally
handicapped.
Alterations to two houses to make them more suitable for handicapped persons were
carried out by the Welfare Department during the year.
House: Hand rail on stairs.
House: Concrete ramps to front and back doors. Grab rails.
In addition, walking aids and hoists, feeding aids and toilet aids were issued to a
considerable number of handicapped persons.
Under the County provision of Chiropody Service, certain physically handicapped
persons received domiciliary chiropody treatment in 1964.
Residents of the Borough needing any of the County Welfare Services briefly referred
to in this Report should apply to the Area Welfare Officer, Mr. D. C. Davids, Bedford
Hall, Bedford Road, London, W.13.
Nutrition of School Children:
The following figures kindly supplied by the Borough Treasurer give the details of
milk and meals acceptance in the various schools in the Borough.
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