Signed minutes of Bath City Council Public Assistance/Social Welfare/Welfare/Family Services/Social Services Committee
Reference Number
BC/2/1/141
Level of Description
Series
Title
Signed minutes of Bath City Council Public Assistance/Social Welfare/Welfare/Family Services/Social Services Committee
Date
1929-1974
Extent
Extent: 11 vols
Description
Bath City Council took over responsibility for the welfare of those unable to care or provide for themselves and their families from the Bath Board of Poor Law Guardians in 1929. The Public Assistance Committee was set up to carry out the work formerly carried out by the Guardians, which included welfare payments to the sick, elderly and unemployed; care of orphan children, and children whose parents were unable to care for them; and the running of the workhouse (re-named the Public Assistance Institution) and its infirmary. The Committee was renamed the Social Welfare committee in 1939, and the Welfare Committee in 1944.
The work of the Committee changed substantially after the introduction of the National Health Service and the Welfare State in 1947, which removed its responsibilities for the care of the sick and the unemployed. The Council remained responsible for the care of the elderly and of children, and for some aspects of mental health provision. Note that a separate Children's Committee was set up in 1947, as required by the Children Act 1946. The Children's Committee continued to 1970, after which its responsibilites transferred to the Social Services Committee.
Some of the volumes contain information of a sensitive nature on individuals who may still be alive. Access to these minutes is restricted in accordance with UK Data Protection Law
