§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many home helps are employed by each local authority; what is the number of whole-time equivalents; what numbers per 1,000 population over 65 years of age these figures represent; what steps he is taking to enable local authorities to increase this service for elderly and disabled persons; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir K. JosephI shall write to the hon. Member with the statistical information asked for in the first part of the Question.
The total number of home helps employed by local authorities in England at 30th September 1972 (whole-time equivalents) was 35,185. This showed an increase of approximately 19 per cent. between 1970 and 1972 or an average annual increase of nearly 10 per cent. Of the persons receiving home help service in 1972, 85.3 per cent. were aged 65 and over; many of these will have been suffering from a degree of handicap or disablement. In addition, persons suffering from chronic sickness, tuberculosis and mental disorders took up a further 7.3 per cent. of the service.
53WI welcome the recent increases in the service and the evidence in 10-year plans that local authorities envisage steady future growth in the number of home helps.
In circular 53/71 sent by my Department to all local authorities in October 1971 it was recognised that the elderly would continue to be the largest group of people receiving the service; but local authorities were nevertheless urged to ensure that the needs of other eligible groups, including the handicapped, were not overlooked.
A review of the home help service in England was carried out by my Department's Social Work Service between February and July 1972 and its report was circulated to all local authorities in September 1973. Its recommendations include reference to the need to ensure the most effective use of the time of home helps; to define criteria for the operation of the service in the context of increasing demand; and to encourage in-service training for home helps jointly with other appropriate staff of the social services department.