Report of the Care of Children Committee.

  • Great Britain. Care of Children Committee.
Date:
[1946]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the Care of Children Committee. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    168/200 (page 166)
    491. Under the Endowed Schools Acts, 1869-1908, the Minister of Educa- tion has wide powers to reform endowments so as to make them most condu- cive to the advancement of the education of boys and girls. Under the Charitable Trusts Acts there is power for the Minister to amend educational trusts which can be shown to have failed. Local authorities should be advised to raise the question of action under these Acts in cases of difficulty to which the Acts apply. There are, however, numerous exceptions to the operation of the Acts, and we think that there is scope for a review of this legislation with’ a view to relieving the Ministry of Education of some of the restrictions which at present limit their power to modify educational trusts not used, or not fully used, in the best interests of the children. 492. We consider that all voluntary Homes taking full custody of children should be registered with, and subject to inspection by, the central ‘‘ home- making *’ department, and that all alike which receive normal healthy children should be subject to a code of rules for residential Homes laid down by that department and applicable alike to voluntary and local authority Homes. The period when provision for orphans and destitute children could be treated as a matter of private benevolence, free of all criticism, is past. All establish- ments alike, however they are financed, should receive the guidance, advice and direction of a central authority which has made a special study of child care and can indicate where the arrangements in any Home fall short of what modern opinion requires. Where a voluntary society cannot maintain that standard for financial or other reasons it should either be assisted to do so (if it is serving a useful purpose) or it should cease to be permitted to receive children. 493. A number of points which should be covered for institutional Homes either by Statutory Rule or by directives issued by the Central Department have been mentioned in paragraphs 478-485. We would add the following (in addition to the directions regarding after care proposed in paragraphs 502-503 below). (i) Local Committees If a sub-committee is appointed by the Children’s Committee of a local authority or the executive committee of a voluntary organisation to supervise a children’s Home, the arrangements should provide (a) for the inclusion of both men and women members, (b) for retirement in rotation and limits on reappointment such as to secure that stimulus is given by the introduction of new members and that membership is not continued beyond the age at which an active interest can be taken in the Home. (ii) Staffing The Homes should be staffed on a basis which allows of individual care and attention to the children. As an example, for grouped Homes the ratio for house mothers should be one house mother to ten children, plus the necessary provision for assistance and relief. For nurseries a much higher ratio of staff to children is required. The qualifications to be aimed at are personal suitability, a deep interest in children as individuals, and training on the lines proposed in our Interim Report. For the higher posts administrative capacity is needed in addition to these qualifications. (iii) Conditions of employment for staff The staff must be adequately and comfortably housed with reasonable facilities for quiet leisure time and for entertaining their friends. Pay and superannuation conditions should be negotiated with the appropriate staff organisations and standardised,