Allocating the Home Help Services

Abstract

Does good just mean helpful to client or the effective application of scientific methodology? From first point of view, this is a useful book; most of it describes a comprehensive survey of 1000 home help clients, discussing questions asked and results obtained. Clients are categorised by age, disability, extent of help from family and many other factors, and current allocation of services to these categories is fully discussed and illustrated by graphs. A discussion of home helps' gen? eral comments and secondary results occupies a quarter of book. There is less discussion ofthe actual allocation procedures: methods using present levels and ideal levels of service are employed, some considering mix of actual clients, others adjusting for mix of population. From latter view of O.R., book is slightly disappointing. The methods used are somewhat crude, although it could be argued that they were all that were required or that could be implemented; survey results are stated with little indication of their significance, statistically or otherwise; and although much emphasis is laid on present allocation of home helps between categories of clients, there is no scientific assess? ment of their actual needs. This would have been especially valuable as some current discrepancies were uncovered, for example some categories having a 'lot' of family help were provided with more home help than those receiving 'little' family help. In conclusion, while probably not of much value to O.R. workers outside Social Services, this book will give food for thought and practical help to those responsible for allocating public service resources between geographical areas, and for home help organisers comments made in passing on what it's really like will be of much value. It also provides a case study in which academics (from Exeter University) worked with management and workers to find solutions acceptable to both. More importantly, per? haps, it shows that peculiar admixture of rational thought and sympathetic sensitivity to people's needs that this type of study requires.