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information is passed on to the health visitor concerned so that she may provide a
report for the Consultant if necessary. This arrangement of health visitor attendance
keeps the health visitor informed of the cases which need particular advice and support
and each can be followed up more closely. In our experience it is useful to have a
rota of health visitors to undertake to be present at these clinics to take part and
to be known in the hospital.
Special Services Health Visitor s Reports
Miss Spooner in Tottenham takes over families with special difficulties and gives
them intensive attention and guidance. Her report on the work during the year is as
follows: -
"As previously reported, most of the families which come under my care have one
or other parent either suffering from mental ill-health or are of low intelligence.
There are the people who have too many children that they are incapable of managing,
but it does not necessarily follow that these children are unintelligent; given help
and opportunity, as they grow up these children often have a marked upgrading influence
on their parents.
The voluntary associations have helped a great deal in giving the children extra
activities outside school and home. This year seven children had holidays with the
W.V.S. at the seaside or in the country where they made good friends and very much
benefited from living in a good normal home with other children of their own age.
This year Highgate Camp increased its number of Tottenham boys to four, and thanks to
kind help from the Rotary Club, this wonderful camping holiday was very much appreciated
and enjoyed by the four boys who went. It does help these boys tremendously. In
one case particularly there was an impending Court cast postponed to allow the boy to
keep the camping fixture and to have one more chance, there has been a great change of
outlook of this boy, there has been no Court case and no further trouble reported since
he returned from camp in August.
This year ten children had a seven week holiday at the Save the Children Holiday
home - Hill House, near Kelvedon, Essex. All these children very much benefited from
staying in this lovely country House in its own grounds with all the play facilities,
etc. They all gained at least 41bs. in weight while there, andparents reported that
it had benefited them in many ways. It was also a great help to the parents and was
appreciated.
Also this year with generous help from the Mayor's Fund in Tottenham, I arranged
an outing to Walton-on-the-Naze in the summer and to Bertram Mills Circus and the
Wembley Ice Show at Christmas. These outings are very much enjoyed as well as
providing an ideal opportunity for a general clean up and improvement in relationships.
I think as with all members of society, a day's outing away from the household chores
helps these mothers to go back with a better outlook to the daily routine. I certainly
feel these outings are of benefits to both mother and children.
Over the two years I have been visiting problem families all the families visited
have kept out of serious trouble and are considered to be less a nuisance to all
around them than they were before, so that I do feel with concentrated visiting and
the building up of a relationship with families that do need help (although they do
not always realise it not will seek it for themselves) has had some effect in keeping
families together, and slowly improving standards."