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10
Information regarding the Department's many other routine and important
duties are also set out in the body of the Report.
The year was one of much discussion on the co-ordination and integration of
the various social services of the local authority. There was also much discussion
on a "new look" for the National Health Service but by the end of the year
the official pronouncements on these subjects had not yet come. No one has
really yet defined what a social service is, and the control of what are generally
accepted as social services is spread out between various statutory bodies such
as the Department of Health and Social Security, Ministry of Housing and Local
Government, Department of Employment and Productivity, the Home Office, the
Department of Education and Science, various local government departments and
voluntary organisations, national and local. When one considers the matter
locally, the social welfare of the citizen is again in the hands of a multiplicity
of bodies. The area offices of the various Ministries have a part to play.
The welfare of the school child is in the hands of the Inner London Education
Authority although the School Health Service overlaps with Borough services.
Within the local authority itself, the Health Department, Welfare Department,
Children's Department and Housing Department are all intimately concerned.
In so far as health affects the social well-being of the citizen, the general
practitioner and hospital services are also involved. Voluntary organisations
have also a part to play. The simplification of all these services is
ideally long overdue, but the practical implication of achieving simplification
is indeed a formidable task. Within the Borough, attempts have been made to
achieve some measure of integration. At the beginning of the year a Family
Services Advisory Committee existed, consisting of Chairmen and Deputies of the
various Social Services Committees with the various Chief Officers being present,
but this did not meet during the latter part of the year. In November 1968,
it was decided to have common Committee membership of the Health, Children's
and Welfare Committees all meeting on the same night. Common membership was
achieved but it was not found possible to confine the business of the meetings
to one evening. At the end of the year this position continued.
Although much liaison takes place between field workers of all departments
of the Council, at the moment the only common meeting ground of senior
officers of the various Council departments, together with officers of the
Greater London Council Housing Department, the local offices of the Department
of Health and Social Security, the Probation Service and voluntary bodies,
continues to be the Co-ordinating Committee.
The Co-ordinating Committee, although it has definite limitations, has
facilitated discussion of mutual problems between senior officers of Departments
who can call in various services to help some of the families in social
need. Further attempts at integration will undoubtedly be made following the
reports of various National Committees studying the subject.
I would like to express my thanks to all the Chief Officers of the
Council and their staffs for the help they have willingly given us in our
problems, and I would also like to express my thanks to the Inner London
Education Authority for their help and co-operation during the year. During
the year the Chairmanship of the Health Committee changed hands three times;
I would, therefore, like to express my thanks to all Chairmen of Committees
with whom the Department has had dealings during the year. This report goes
out under my name but all the officers of the Department contribute in one way
or another to its preparation, or to the work, or to the successful running of
the Department, and I would like to take this opportunity again to thank each
and every one of them for the part they have played.
I am, Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Your obedient Servant,
ROWLAND GWYN DAVIES
Medical Officer of Health