asked the Minister for Health the existing qualifications regarding home helps; if he is satisfied with the present position where it appears that the qualifications involved are indeed minimal or non-existent; and the proposals, if any, for improvement in this regard.
Written Answers. - Home Helps.
162.
There is no formal statement of qualifications for home helps but health boards have been asked to ensure that persons recruited are of unquestioned integrity and of suitable disposition. It has also been recommended that where home helps are being recruited for the first time, they should be given training, before they begin their duties, by personnel familiar with the requirements of the job, such as public health nurses, social workers, etc. The training, it was pointed out, would be to provide guidance regarding their approach to the people being served, the broad range of home help duties, the work undertaken by medical, nursing and social workers and some practical instruction on the best manner of carrying out the services they are to provide.
There have not been complaints to me about the general standard of persons recruited as home helps but, in practice, the health boards keep the position under review.