and
Peggy Jay, both members of the L.C.C. Children’s Committee since its inception in 1948, in a new Fabian pamphlet, examine the role of the Social Services in “preserving and protecting the family unit.” They see the Social Services “as preventive rather than curative, as a fence at the top of the precipice rather than an ambulance at the bottom.” Despite the many achievements of the Social Services over the past 20 years, “a tragic tale of failure is revealed” when they are assessed on the “standard of protecting the family and preserving the personal relationships on which it is based.” “The number of children in care, in England and Wales, in 1964 was the highest recorded since November 1953,” yet declare the authors’ “ninety per cent. of the children has living parents.” The 1963 Children’s Act, which arose from the Ingleby Report imposes on Local Children’s Authorities the duty of advising, guiding and assisting families in such a way that the need for them to be taken into care is diminished. Some Local Authorities are already using their new powers, by making cash grants to families in special need with great effect. The number of families coming into care is reduced, with a resulting net saving to Children’s Authority. The authors want to see a Family Service both at Central Government and at Local Authority level. The Family department would be created from the appropriate parts of the Home Office, Ministry of Health and Ministry of National Insurance. If this is not immediately possible the authors would like to see the existing Children’s Department of the Home Office expanded to take on “domiciliary and environmental services for the under fives (other than medical care) the care of the unmarried mother and her child, and the immediate reception of homeless families now with the Ministry of Health.” The pattern of responsibility would be repeated at Local Authority level.