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either on a temporary or permanent basis. Such temporary admissions, of up to eight
weeks, are arranged to meet acute domestic difficulties or ill health of mother. The
mental welfare officers deal similarly with the sub-normal and severely sub-normal
males over the age of ten years.
The main duty of the mental welfare officer is pre- and after-care
of those persons suffering from mental illness including dealing with those requiring
compulsory detention in psychiatric hospitals under the Mental Health Act, 1959.
Both the mental welfare officers and the mental health social workers transport
patients in their cars to and from the psychiatric hospitals, in case of emergency.
As regards the general practitioners, they receive via the Middlesex Executive
Council, a schedule setting out the information given above and also the procedure
under which they may obtain the services of a mental welfare officer outside norma]
office hours.
In addition to the home visiting service, there are junior training schools for the
young severely sub-normal and adult training centres for those of sixteen years of age
and over. Although at present there are none of these establishments actually sited
within the Borough, Finchley children are transported daily by coach to the
purpose-built Friern Barnet Junior Training School and Finchley youths
and girls are taken by coach to the Edmonton Adult Training Centre.
A therapeutic social club is run for incipient mental cases and for those discharged
from psychiatric hospitals who are in need of after-care, at York Park Day Nursery,
York Road, Hendon, N.W.9, at 7 p.m. every Tuesday evening.
A hostel for employable persons recovering from mental illness has opened at
Park House, High Road, East Finchley, N.2.
It is the County Council's intention to increase the above facilities.
WELFARE SERVICES
Welfare Services under Part III of the National Assistance Act, 1948, are provided
by the Welfare Department of the Middlesex County Council.
The following services are under the direction of the local Area Welfare Officer,
Mr. C. N. Austwick, 36, Woodhouse Road, N.12. (HILlside 2822):—
(a) Admittance to residential accommodation through reasons of age and infirmity.
(b) Provision of temporary accommodation for persons rendered homeless through
eviction, fire or flood.
(c) Welfare of the physically handicapped (day to day supervision by welfare
visitor).
(d) Welfare of the blind and partially sighted (day to day supervision by home
teacher).
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