Relieving duties of the Relieving Officer are to receive all applications for relief and immediately examine into the circumstances of every applicant by visiting the place of his or her abode—where they possess one—in order to make careful inquiries concerning causes of distress and general characters of applicants ; to visit from time to time all those receiving relief; to make detailed reports to the Guardians from time to time; to supply immediate relief in cases of urgency ; to convey lunatics to the asylum ; and to procure medical attendance where necessary. This is but a brief outline of his duties. He should possess a complete know ledge of the general consolidated orders. Otherwise he may make serious mistakes entailing even loss of life.
In the past, Relieving Officers have been appointed from the ranks of the teaching profession, clerks, mechanics, &c., but Guardians will presently be obliged to require some previous training as an Assistant Relieving Officer, or the obtaining of a certificate from an authority recognised by the Local Government Board. A system of examinations has been adopted with courses of instruction for Relieving Officers in connection with the London School of Economics and Social Science. This has been extended to Liver pool in connection with the School of Social Science at Liverpool University, and is being extended to other centres. The majority report of the Poor Law Commission recommended that sonic system of certificates should be instituted with courses of instruction and examination prescribed by the Local Government Board, and if possible in connection with an institution, recognised for the purpose by the Universities.
Salaries vary according to the size of the Union and the importance attached by the Guardians to the duties of the office, and range from 1100 to 19180 or 1190. In many instances the officers have other minor appoint ments, such as Registrar of Births and Deaths, School Attendance Officers, and Collectors to the Guardians.
s In the larger Unions it is the custom to appoint a Superintendent Relieving Officer, whose duty consists in supervising the reports of the other officers concerning cases for relief, and generally to institute a check upon the amount suggested, not entirely with a view to its reduCtion but also to its adequacy.
Women Relieving now occurs for women to qualify as Assistant Relieving Officers. Owing to the duties imposed upon a fully qualified officer, it may be doubted whether women will become more than assistants ; but the operations of the Children's Act and the inspection suggested by the Royal Commission on the Poor Law with respect to the aged, widows and children receiving out-relief, have induced many Boards to appoint Female Assistant Relieving Officers. The salary varies from 170 to 1104 per year, and the age of applicants from thirty to forty-five years. They are usually required to be single women or widows and competent to visit the homes of those receiving out-relief. Other duties consist in (a) to accompany the Relieving Officers with female patients to the Lunatic Asylum ; (b) to visit and report as may be required upon widows and others having children maintained at the expense of the Guardians ; (c) to report upon the circumstances of maternity cases ; (d) to visit women and children in homes and hospitals or elsewhere outside the Union when required ; (e) to report when necessary upon the situations proposed for children ; (f) to convey children to boarding-out or other homes.
Vaccination Board of Guardians are obliged to appoint Vaccination Officers for their Union whose duty it is to see that all children are vaccinated or that the parents and guardians obtain the necessary relief. For this duty the officers are paid usually according to the number of successful cases of vaccination. Sometimes the duties are allied with those of the Relieving Officer. In other cases special officers are appointed who need not previously possess Poor Law experience.