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35
Home Accidents
468 home visits have been made to homes following accidents
to the under 5 years and to the over 60 years of age.
This total is slightly less than previous years due to a
shortage of staff towards the end of 1967. These visits are
well worth while as unfortunately the number of accidents do
not decrease.
Mental Health
The Redbridge Association of Professional Social Workers
as a group have people from different departments and agencies
concerned with social work in the Borough. The members at
the Child Guidance Clinic kindly held a discussion group once
a month for interested persons. The health visitors have joined
in these to discuss cases in greater depth and learn from the
members of the group.
We have also assisted the Child Guidance Clinic in their
Research Project on Children's Thinking*. We are involved
in finding for the survey the correct children in age, sex and
parents background. The final results will, without doubt,
assist all Child Guidance staff and others in their work.
A number of the Health Visitors staff also join in group
discussion once weekly at Claybury Hospital.
Two Health Visitors join in the group run by Dr. Wedeles
at Kenwood Gardens Clinic.
Student Health Visitors
In accordance with the new Syllabus for the Training of
Health Visitors, the students trained and seconded to the
Borough having successfully passed their written exams then
came to us for their practical three months training. Their
practical work had to be the responsibility of the Superintendent
Health Visitor or her deputy. This placed a particularly heavy
burden on all staff because it was a holiday period. We had to
make them feel part of the Local Authority Service, show
enthusiasm and interest in their work as it was a trial period
for them before being allowed full professional status. Each
student worked with a reduced case load on the area they were
later to take over.
The Future of Health Visiting
Generally, the dedicated spinster is now reaching the period
of retirement; this particularly applies to the profession and
and her loss will be very much felt in the community. The
future depends on the service being covered by young married
women who once having completed their contract, will leave
to have their families. Once the family are grown up they will,
we hope, come back into the Service. The turn over of staff