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37
handicapped. Social workers are especially trained for this,
but should they need nursing knowledge they are free to
consult us.
The elderly and widows or widowers left on their own
continue to be part of our work.
Owing to the shortage of mental welfare officers our
work with mentally handicapped children has been intensified.
As most health visitors know their handicapped children so well
this does not prove a difficult task.
Early in 1965 a series of seven articles was published in
the local newspaper on the health visitors work. The idea came
about because we were in need of extra voluntary helpers in
our clinics to sell food and weigh babies. The response from
the article appealing for help was excellent and so once again
a very important part of the service continued to be covered.
Fieldwork Instructors
Two of the above were appointed from our own health
visiting staff, following a special training at Chiswick Polytechnic.
The Fieldwork Instructors were allocated two student
health visitors each to assist in the practical training of
health visiting. The South East Essex Technical College
(now renamed the Barking Regional College of Technology)
are training three students for Redbridge from September,
1965. Previously two of these students were seconded to the
local maternity hospital to do their obstetric training. Following
the sponsored training by Redbridge the three students
guarantee to give the Local Authority one year's service.
In this way we hope to be able to keep the acute shortage
of health visiting staff stable. Movement of staff cannot be
predicted, retirements are inevitable.
Kenwood Gardens Clinic
The above Clinic was used to re-establish the social
workers luncheon in September, 1965. Informal meetings with a
speaker arranged for the last half an hour are most helpful.
Information is exchanged and it is an excellent way of getting
to know one another.