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To The Worshipful the Mayor, Aldermen and Members of the Council.
Mr.Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Because of the exceptionally heavy demands upon staff
time and resources I regret it has not been possible to produce
annual reports of the Medical Officer of Health at the customary
times. This report, therefore, covers the two years 1968 and
1969 during which major departmental changes took place and is
presented as a departmental report which incorporates the
statutory Medical Officer of Health's report.
Historical
In 1968 the Council, as part of the general re-organisation
of its committee and departmental structure, combined the
previously separate Health and Welfare, Children's and Housing
Departments into a single department to be called The Health
and Family Services Department which was made responsible for
"the personal well-being, both physical and mental, of people
of all ages and conditions including environmental health and
public control". The Council decided that the new department
should comprise Health (Personal, School and Environmental);
Welfare; Children's; Housing; and Administration sections and
that when the report of the Seebohm Committee was received, the
structure of the department should be further considered.
Following publication of the Seebohm Report, the Welfare and
Children's Sections were amalgamated into a single Social Services
Section which also incorporated certain social services transferred
from health administration.
Within the combined department, therefore, with the exception
of the Mental Health Service which was closely aligned to hospitals;
day nurseries and child minders, for which social worker staff
was not available; home help, closely aligned to Nursing and
Midwifery Services; a Seebohm-type social services organisation
was established headed by a Chief Social Services Officer. It
was the expressed intent of the Council to transfer further
responsibilities to the Social Services Section when it became
possible to do so.
The wisdom of delaying such transfers became apparent with
the emergence of major personal and organisational difficulties
when a start was made in integrating social work on a generic
basis as envisaged by the Seebohm Committee. The first stage of this
development was to allocate social workers to four area teams
which incorporated Child Care, Intensive Family Case Work and
National Assistance Act responsibilities. The teams were supported
by a consultative middle-management structure in each of the
specialities. Unfortunately many staff changes took place, a
situation which continued until early 1970 and which very considerably
impeded progress. Certain professional organisations were
unable to support the policy of the Council which they publicly
opposed. There was thus a highly charged emotional and "politicoprofessional"
atmosphere and it is a great tribute to those members
of staff who stood firm against the pressures they experienced
and continued to serve the Council with unswerving loyalty.
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