Why we all need to care for each other a little more

Earlier generations were far more mobile than we think. The massive population growth in our industrial cities clearly demonstrates this. In Sheffield in 1801, the population was 60,000 but by 1901 this had grown to 451,000.

In Hull, the population over the same period grew more than ten times from 22,000 to 239,000. There were higher birth rates in those years but also much higher death rates and much lower life expectancy rates than today yet the drift to the cities was unstoppable even though living conditions for many were dreadful.

This was long before the NHS and social care. Mary Stewart was among the first medical social workers, known as “Lady Almoners,” a title that persisted until 1964, but she was really a charity worker assessing the financial position of a patient on admission.

The profession of social workers was only created in 1970 in this country and the raft of providers through social services or other organisations simply did not exist apart from charities for the sick or destitute.

To cope with illness or other disasters, people had to rely on family and friends, immediate neighbours or the wider local community to provide some charitable support.

Family and neighbours in rural locations had always supported each other and this was desperately needed in our booming cities. Such help often started with child birth then child care and grew through difficult times of war, economic depression and local disaster.

As national and local government expanded the provision of services in the twentieth century, the cost has become an escalated burden, funded by increased taxation.

Today, the balance has changed and we feel entitled to more and more help from these government services because we have paid taxes and we are often unwilling to call upon family or neighbours to help.

With a rapidly ageing population, the pressing needs of single parent families and the assistance required by the less abled or more vulnerable, the pressure to provide good quality social care has grown immensely.

We urgently need to augment this provision with more care from within the family and immediate community and we must all take on a little dollop of that responsibility. To put it very simply, we all need to care for each other that bit more.