| Abstract: | This paper will describe the work and observations of a Health Visitor attached to the Manchester Special Unit of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. It will indicate areas of work, vulnerability of some parents, personal comments from mothers and suggest ways in which families could be helped in the future.Early in 1976 the Manchester Area Health Authority agreed to second a Health Visitor to the Special Unit for a period of 2 years in order to give intensive health visiting support to Unit families.Having read the very strong evidence which has been produced by various researchers (Hyman, 1976; Lynch, 1975; Rose and colleagues, 1974; Skinner and Castle, 1969) indicating that a poor obstetric and neo-natal history are key factors in child abuse, it was decided at an early stage to concentrate mainly on those of our mothers who were pregnant.Although this has remained the main priority it has been possible to be effective in other fields of work. Bearing in mind the work done by Margaret Lynch, indicating the importance of health problems in the first year of life, each family has been looked at to see if there was an ill-health factor contributing to the stress and where this was the case, advice and help were given to have these problems alleviated. What has also been looked at is whether closer Social Worker/Health Visitor co-operation enhances the quality of care which can be given to Unit families. |
