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MEDICO-SOCIAL WORK
(l) Prevention of Break-up of Families
The close association between ill-health and social need has
been recognised increasingly over the last 50 years. This has led
to the development of closely inter-related health and social services.
Social workers, working closely with their colleagues in other departments
of the Council and in hospitals, give valuable support to families
handicapped by ill-health. The ramifications of social need are,
however, multiple and not always brought to light by known ill-health.
A most valuable contribution has been made by regular meetings
) of the Co-ordinating Committee in connection with cases of rent
arrears which has been in operation since the Borough was formed.
At these meetings representatives of the Town Clerk's, Children"s,
Housing and Health and Welfare Departments as well as on occasion
Probation Officers, N.S.P.C.C. Inspectors and Voluntary Bodies
have the opportunity to consider the total situation in each case and
to decide upon appropriate action of which all are aware. Many
cases of rent arrears have been investigated by the Social Work
Team and there is no doubt of the effectiveness of this system in
preventing possible cases of homelessness which would otherwise have
arisen. In many cases rent arrears have been successfully reduced
or eliminated and the risk of eviction prevented. By this means
from many sources early information concerning families who may be
in health or social need is obtained, examined and acted upon,
an "early warning" system which is capable of extension in the future.
No children have been received into care in this Borough as
a result of eviction proceedings instigated by the Council and no
family has been made hemeless through the Council's action. In some
cases, when rent arrears have been intolerable,Temporary Accommodation
has had to be provided wherein continuous efforts towards rehabilitation
have been pursued.
The Council has encouraged rehabilitation by its policy of
re-housing families from temporary accommodation when they have
demonstrated their ability to respond to this treatment. A progressive
policy such as this is bound to have its occasional failure but it
has been fully justified by the cases treated with success.
Much has been done to prevent the effects of homelessness on growing
families who lack the means to support themselves either because
of low-earning ability, ill-health or in some few cases fecklessness
and wilful failure to co-operate. The Borough can be proud of the
progress it has made in this direction since its inception, and although
complacency is not justified and much yet remains to be done it is
right to record these achievements in the face of a picture of
heartless, unco-ordinated and authoritarian action which is sometimes
presented and further to record that these results have been achieved
by the efforts of a comparatively small staff. The much and often
ill-informed publicity attached to the very few cases of failure takes
no account of the very much larger number of successes, nor of the
many hours of planning, discussion and case work undertaken to help
families to help themselves. The close collaboration of other departments,
voluntary agencies, statutory undertakings and business organisations
is gratefully acknowledged.
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