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pitals, "in-patient" and "out-patient" services, community social
and welfare facilities will depend upon the level of co-operation
achieved locally.
General
Establishment of a new adult training centre in May, 1969, has
enabled our policy of dealing with mental handioap within the
community to be further promoted.
At local hospitals where psychiatric out-patient clinics are held,
satisfactory liaisons have been established with consultants which
enable individual cases and problems to be discussed with beneficial
results. However, with the exception of the Greenwich District
Hospital, efforts to attach social workers to these clinics have been
unsuccessful although there are distinct possibilities that such
liaisons will be established shortly with the Woolwich Memorial
Hospital and later with St. Nicholas Hospital. Meanwhile our
existing attachments at the Greenwich District and Castlewood Day
hospitals continue to function smoothly.
Mentally Handicapped
Referrals are received mainly from the Nursing Service which is
responsible for the "At Risk" register and whose information is
obtained from hospitals, midwives, M. & C.W. clinics, doctors and
health visitors. Others originate from the Education Authority. It
is doubtful if any mentally handicapped child fails to be brought to
the notice of this Directorate. If a child is, or appears to be
mentally retarded, arrangements are made for him/her to be seen
at a Special Clinic to which the parents are invited, transport to
and from the clinic being provided where necessary. A child found
to be retarded is seen at three-monthly intervals but, if conditions
other than mental are revealed, then the child is referred to the
general practitioner or appropriate hospital department.
It is not usual for children to be seen before the age of two years
but at the age of five years they are subject to statutory examinations
in accordance with Section 57 of the Education Act, 1944,
and if found necessary they are either recommended for attendance
at Special Schools or referred to the Local Health Authority
for admission to training centres.
At the request of a parent, but in any event at approximately
yearly intervals, a child is re-examined. In a case where education
at a special school is found to be unsuitable, the child is referred
to the local health authority for admission to a training centre and,
conversely, if a child attending a training centre is found to be
educationally suitable, transfer to an appropriate school is arranged.