| AdminHistory | The Social Services Committee was established in July 1970, under the terms of the Local Authority Social Services Act, 1970, when the Children’s Committee (see BCC/1/CT) and the Welfare Committee (see BCC/1/CU), and aspects of the Housing Committee (see BCC/1/DH) and the Health Committee (see BCC/1/AR) were merged into the new Social Services Committee. The Welfare and Children’s Departments were also merged to form the new Social Services Department, under the authority of the Director of Social Services.
The functions of the committee, as laid down by the Social Services Act, 1970, were to be very wide-ranging. Regarding children, they included the provision of day-care for children under five years of age, as well as the registration and regulation of child-minders and nursery staff. The Council were to establish new homes for children and separate homes for young children, as well as supervise children found in need of care and protection. The committee was responsible for providing continuing child care, including the Shawbury Approved School, the care of unsupported mothers and the Local Authority adoption, and fostering and emigration schemes. These were the functions of the Children’s Committee, with additional functions, such as providing support for single mothers, from the Health Committee.
Further, the committee was responsible for providing adult training centres and sheltered workshops, and supporting the residential care and welfare of elderly people (for example, free bus travel and assisted holidays) and those with disabilities and mental health conditions not requiring full medical cover. The committee was expected to provide home help and a home meals service. These were the functions of the Welfare Committee. However, from the Housing Committee, the Social Services Committee took on the responsibility of housing families in temporary and emergency accommodation.
New facilities would be built, like the adult training centre on Belchers Lane, which was started immediately, but the committee inherited its buildings and homes from the Children’s and Welfare Committees; such as Quinton Hall, Highbury Hall, Witton Hall and Summer Hill. |