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123
THE WELFARE SERVICES
by R. W. Hall, A.M.I.S.W., Chief Welfare Officer
The year under review might properly be described as one
in which the foundation of the Welfare Services in Redbridge
were designed and partly laid. Limitations were placed upon
its development due to the lack of suitably qualified or
experienced staff and the volume of work of a day-to-day
nature which had to be done to the exclusion of work on
development and planning.
In reporting on this Service, reference must be made to
the fact that until the 1st April, 1965 the work was undertaken
by the Essex County Council and appreciation must be
expressed to the County Welfare Officer and his staff for their
co-operation and assistance when handing over the Service to
the new London Borough, so enabling the service to those in
need to be maintained during the transitional period.
What in fact did the Borough take over? It became responsible
for the provision of welfare services for the elderly
people, the blind and the partially sighted, the physically
handicapped and the deaf, the hard of hearing and the homeless
in Redbridge. Some idea of the magnitude of the task can
be gleaned from the numbers of people concerned — 30,000
elderly, 565 blind and partially sighted, 610 physically handicapped
and many deaf and hard of hearing, whose numbers
have not yet been ascertained.
In terms of staff, it meant the taking over of persons who
were cleaners and clerks, social workers and supervisors,
superintendents and matrons, cooks and instructors, administrators
and attendants, and welding them into a team.
In terms of buildings, it meant taking over and administering
three residential homes for the elderly, occupied by 122
elderly citizens; one Day Centre for the elderly; one Occupational
Centre for the physically handicapped and two
residential homes and one Day Centre for the elderly in the
course of construction. (Appendix 33).
Add to this situation the care of a number of persons in
Homes administered by other Local Authorities and voluntary
organisations, holiday arrangements for the physically
handicapped, temporary accommodation for the homeless,
registration and inspection of private Homes for the elderly,
the handicapped and the mentally disordered, and the first
picture is complete. (Appendices 34-38.)