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125
Home Visiting Service
(30) At the present time, four of the Duly Authorised Officers
act as Mental Deficiency Visitors, each having an area of the
Borough for which he is responsible. A monthly case conference
is also being held with the staff of the mental hospital, so
that these local authority officers may carry out the community
care of a small number of selected ex-hospital patients.
(31) With the appointment of a Psychiatric Social Worker and two
trainee Mental Welfare Officers, the scope and extent of these
follow-up duties will be extended. The Corporation will take such
measures as are necessary to ensure that the staff of the home
visiting service are adequately trained or qualified, and will
encourage them to take the necessary training.
Guardianship
(32) The Corporation use the Guardianship Society for the Placement
and subsequent supervision of a small number of mental defectives
(at present 12). They also accept financial responsibility
for suitable patients placed in after-care homes of the
Mental After-Care Association. The Medical Superintendent of
St. Lawrence's Hospital for mental defectives has regularly
examined in the local health authority's spremises patients put
forward for hospital treatment.
(33) The Corporation undertake to exercise their functions under
the Mental Health Act, 1959 in respect of persons placed under
guardianship whether under the guardianship of the Corporation
or of other persons. It is proposed to continue the present
system of placing suitable patients under guardianship in the
area of other authorities to be supervised by officers of the
Guardianship Society.
Health Education
(34) The Corporation regard education for mental health as a
most important growing part of their general programme of
Health Education. They intend to use the staff of the mental
section for in-service training of other Health Department
personnel and in programmes of general Health Education especially
for services provided under Sections 22, 23 and 24 of
the National Health Service Act, 1946.