[Report 1969] / Medical Officer of Health, Hertfordshire County Council.

  • Hertfordshire (England). County Council. n 50062101.
Date:
1969
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1969] / Medical Officer of Health, Hertfordshire County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Health Education. A divisional health education group was set up in October, 1968, and some of the benefits were seen in 1969. The group has representatives from health, education, youth services, and social services together with the lecturer in health education from Wall Hall Teacher Training College. Other members are co-opted when the need arises. The first benefit of the group was a closer relationship with the educationists and the definition of a philosophy of health education in schools, a philosophy which is still expanding and evolving. With the enthusiastic co-operation of the adviser on in-service training for teachers in the divisional education office, a course on health education was held for teachers, health visitors, and doctors. The course was useful and it is hoped to hold further courses in the future. The group also started a research project to determine the “ areas of ignorance ” on health matters in young expectant mothers, and it is hoped by this method of quantification to feed back information to schools so that the content of health education in schools can be adjusted. Drug Dependence. A working party on drug dependence was set up also during the year and there is cross-representation with the health education group. As a result a useful course of talks and discussions were arranged for teachers, health visitors, doctors, and social workers at St. Michael’s School, Garston. It is intended to hold further sessions at other schools. Another side benefit from this group was the formation of a group of social workers representing the Health and Welfare, Social Work Unit, Children’s, and Probation Services to consider ways in which a panel of experienced social workers could assist teachers. This group has the potential to expand to a useful role not necessarily related to drugs, but to preventive social work on a broad front.