Sixth report on the work of the Children's Department, May, 1951.

  • Great Britain. Home Office. Children's Department.
Date:
1953
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Sixth report on the work of the Children's Department, May, 1951. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    156/168 (page 144)
    youth welfare organisations. Special education for children who are handicapped physically or mentally will also be a valuable help. Fourthly, guidance should be given. to school leavers in the choice of suitable employment and every effort made to keep in touch with them after they have started work. Finally, there are many ways in which difficulties in home conditions can be alleviated, and it is desirable to make known the services—official and voluntary—which exist for this purpose, and to simplify the procedure and co-ordinate the efforts to this end. IMPORTANCE OF CO-OPERATION 9. Much closer understanding and co-operation will be needed if the various services for the welfare of young people and the guidance of parents are to function to full effect, and if young people in need of help are to be: assisted to the best advantage. An essential thing is that the officers of one service should know and have confidence in the work of associated services; and each should be able to contribute from his experience, often of the same child in a different setting, something of value to the other. SUGGESTED ACTION 10. It is accordingly suggested that the local organisations concerned, including education committees and teachers, local youth employment committees and youth employment officers, local youth committees and youth leaders, children’s com- mittees and officers, health committees and health visitors, probation officers, police and voluntary bodies should be invited to nominate representatives who would meet at regular intervals to act as a clearing house of practical experience and local knowledge and to encourage the services concerned to institute the necessary executive action. In many administrative counties it would no doubt be convenient to make arrangements for more than one group of representatives. The situation, even in areas which have shown no serious rise in the rate of juvenile delinquency in 1948, demands not only that each service should be fully effective but that there should be systematic co-operation among all the services towards the attainment of the common end. 11. The immediate task of this group of representatives would be to find out the facts about juvenile delinquency in the area; the next task would be to study the main contributory influences with a view to preventive measures and remedies. This suggestion is not novel, since many areas have undertaken such surveys, and some have carried out constructive campaigns. In undertaking such a study, the repre- sentatives of the services would probably want to enlist the help of people in the district with experience of such investigations, for example, universities or other research centres, or child guidance clinics. It would, no doubt, be desired also to bring into consultation representatives of the churches and of juvenile court panels and probation committees. The statistics quoted at the end of paragraph 2 indicate the need to ascertain the views of representatives of people (such as the owners of large shops) who suffer losses and whose attitude towards the offenders is of conse- quence. When the problem has been examined and analysed, it would be for the statutory and voluntary agencies concerned to consider the preventive measures and remedies advocated, and to decide what action should be taken. 12. Local meetings of representatives would, of course, decide on their own procedure, but it may be of assistance to suggest some of the questions which are likely to need consideration. The following list is in no sense exhaustive, and other questions will no doubt emerge from review of local conditions in the different areas. The references below to ‘‘ Out of School’ are to particular recommendations of the Central Advisory Council of the Ministry of Education in their second report entitled ‘** Out of School ”’ (published by H.M. Stationery Office, price Is. Od. net) :— Are adequate facilities for healthy and interesting leisure-time pursuits available for the adult community, for young people, and for children in term-time and holidays ? Are there sufficient facilities for recreation and entertainment which can be enjoyed by parents and children together ? Are courses on the development and interests of children provided for parents and prospective parents? (‘‘ Out of School,’ page 7, recommendation 10.)