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10
Liason With Hospitals
Frequent contact between hospital and Health and Welfare Department staff has been maintained.
One Health Visitor continued to attend the Diabetic Out-Patient Clinic at the Central Middlesex Hospital to
liaise with the medical staff and to ensure that correct instructions regarding diet and treatment are carried
out by the patients in their own homes. This liaison was extended during the year and another Health Visitor
now attends the Diabetic Clinic at Willesden General Hospital. It is hoped to extend the liaison at Central
Middlesex Hospital to include the Geriatric Department.
Nurseries and Child Minders' Regulation Act, 1948
Under the Nurseries and Child Minders' Regulation Act, 1948, a local authority must make arrangements
for the keeping of registers and the supervision of nurseries and child minders. The great demand for
places for the care of children in nurseries and daily minding has resulted in an increase of applications for
registration under the Act. The number of daily minders registered during 1967 was 16 bringing the total to
37. The total number of nursery premises registered is now 35, showing an increase of 9. All nurseries continue
to have a waiting list, and the demand for daily minding is increasing. Great concern is felt by the Health
Visitors that there is a probable pool of unregistered and as yet undetected daily minders in the Borough.
DENTAL SERVICE FOR EXPECTANT & NURSING MOTHERS
AND CHILDREN UNDER 5 YEARS OF AGE
(Table 6)
The demand for dental treatment remains fairly constant in the Priority Dental Service. As usual, too
many require treatment and too few request it. In the under 5 age group it is particularly unfortunate that the
first request for treatment is all too often for the relief of pain when much damage to the dentition has already
occurred.
Dental Health Education continues to interest and to convert a proportion of the population but the
exclusion or drastic curtailment from the diet of so many attractive foods and sweets is expecting too much
from youngsters already enjoying them without parental discipline.
The only proven alternative in reducing the incidence of this most widespread disease lies in the
fluoridation of domestic water supplies, a measure not yet available in this Borough.
PREVENTION OF BREAK-UPS OF FAMILIES
Families in need of extra support, help and guidance, remain an urgent and priority group in the
work of the Health Visitors. Work in depth is undertaken in co-operation with officers in other Departments.
Liaison continues between officers and the case workers of the Brent Family Service Unit, personal
contact and case discussions being arranged when necessary. Other Departments and agencies use this service,
but all requests and referrals are channelled through the Health Visiting Service. This fosters a close link with
all the workers within, and allied to, the services to families which are provided by the Council.
During 1967, the Unit accepted 10 new cases, and 8 cases were closed. The current case load is 36
families.
The Council made a grant of £3,500 to the Unit in 1967/68.
DAY NURSERIES
(Tables 7 and 8)
The demand for admission to the eleven Day Nurseries continued at a high level. In November, the
Council considered a report on the proposals formulated by the London Boroughs' Association for the introduction
of revised assessment scales and charges for the social services. It was agreed that the standard charge
for day nurseries remain at 17/6d per day, but that a minimum charge of a 1/- per day per child be introduced
with effect from 4th December, 1967.
Thirty-one students completed their two-year period of training and 26 obtained the N.N.E.B. Certificate.
Seven Deputy Matrons attended a two-week Refresher Course at Chiswick Polytechnic.
In June, improvements to the heating and hot water services, and alterations to bring the washing,
toilet and cloakroom facilities for staff and children up to the standards recommended by the Ministry of
Health, where completed at Gladstone Park Nursery at a cost of £8.855. Similar improvements and alterations
were completed at Evefield Nursery in August at a cost of £10,120. There were no new admissions, except
short term, whilst the works were in progress.
On 4th December, 1967, work commenced on the building of a 50 place nursery at Shoot-up-Hill, and
is scheduled for completion in May 1968. The estimated cost of the project is £46,880, excluding furniture
which will amount to approximately £6,500.
The Council, in October 1967, approved the incorporation of a 50 place nursery within the Neighbourhood
Centre Scheme at the junction of Harlesden Road and Longstone Avenue. The estimated cost is £56,150.
At the end of the year, sketch plans had been approved and the Borough Architect was preparing working
drawings.