Camden Family Service Unit 1974
Camden Family Service Unit 1974
John ‘Hoppy’ Hopkins interviewing Rodger Potsey of the Camden branch of the Family Support Unit (FSU).
Rodger tells Hoppy that the FSU is funded almost entirely by Camden Council and the organisation functions like an adjunct department to social services in order to help families that require intensive support. They take on the intensive casework that the social service department doesn't have enough resources to do. Rodger adds that he is expressing his individual opinions, not that of the organisation within the video. He speaks about his reaction to watching the Fantasy Factory tape of single-parents squatting at St Leonard’s Square (GC and Peter on Being Evicted video). He notes how articulate the speakers are and how they stand a better chance of being moved into reasonable housing compared to less articulate people. Currently, the FSU is trying to create a drop-in centre to help families in need directly. Right now, their power is limited to putting pressure on housing ministers to bring their families to the top of waiting lists and notes that it is frustrating that all they can do is write letters and phone in and visit these departments in person to put forward their case. Rodger explains how the council could be doing more with the statistical data they collect to help change government legislation, yet very little use is made of the material they possess beyond the day to day. When Hoppy asks Rodger what he would like to change in legislation, he replies: I would like to see it made obligatory to lease out vacant short-life property; to introduce more measures for council housing to improve their conditions among other hopes.