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One general practitioner asked for the help of health visitors in supplying
Information to enable him to continue work on a "Survey on Breast Feeding" on mothers
discharged from a maternity unit. The health visitors were very pleased and interested
to carry out this follow-up.
Geriatric, diabetic and paediatric liaison health visitor schemes have been maintained
and continue to be helpful and much appreciated.
The health visitors' work in the field of mental health is steadily increasing.
They continue to visit regularly the mental defectives under school leaving age.
Close co-operation between health visitors and the psychiatric social workers and
mental health visitors continues with consultation and discussion on families.
Health visitors are being asked to give reports on home circumstances and situation,
to the consultant psychiatrists at the Child Guidance Clinic.
An In-Service Training Group for health visitors and medical officers working under
the leadership of a consultant psychiatrist from the Child Guidance Clinic was formed during
the year. The psychiatrist's comments on this group appear on page 6l.
Health Visitor Problem Family Group
During the early months of 1957 preparatory meetings were held amongst health
department staff in continuance of the Council's policy to improve their constructive
scheme for the rehabilitation. of problem families. In October the Problem Family Working
Party came into being. This was composed of the Senior Assistant Medical Officer, Superintendent
Nursing Officer, Superintendent Health Visitor and 3 health visitors. Their
immediate task was the organisation of a survey of all families in the borough so that some
estimation of the number of problem families could be obtained. When the extent of the
problem was known a plan could then be devised which would make adequate provision for the
continuing help and rehabilitation of these families.
By December the Working Party had prepared a guide for health visitors to help
them in the selection of the families from their districts to be included in the survey.
A definition of a problem family was given as "A problem family is one which, in
spite of continuous help over a period of time, persists in living below the standard
acceptable to our present community. As a result the children in the family are developing
without the minimum parental care and guidance necessary for eventual stable health and
happiness".
A special form was designed for the notification of these families which includes
information about the whole household and also asks for an indication of the other workers
and organisations already concerned with the family.
At a general meeting of health visitors held in mid December a discussion was held
on the survey so that any difficulties could be resolved. The guide and form for notification
were accepted by the health visitors and they undertook to have the greater part of
the survey completed by March 31st 1958.
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