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REPORT ON MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st DECEMBER,1970
Referrals and Community Care
Staffing of the Mental Health Service was a problem. There were a
great many changes and this put a great deal of pressure upon those members
of staff who were left who had to maintain the services to the community,
and train new staff.
Six members of staff left, three for promotion to other Boroughs,
and one left social work to take up other employment. One temporary who
had completed her agreed 3 months placement left at the end of it, as did
another who took employment in another field of social work after working
for Hammersmith for 4 months.
Two members of staff were still on secondment but by the end of the
year the situation had much improved, 5 new members of staff having been
appointed, 3 with professional training.
There was a fairly substantial drop in the number of cases referred,
but this could have been in part due to the formation of Area Teams, with
initial difficulties in communication.
Of those referred, the number accepted for Community Care was considerably
less than in other years, due to the very poor staffing situation
for a considerable part of the year.
Training
The Universities and College of Technology are still requiring Mental
Health placements. Three students from Croydon Technical College were
accepted for long-term placements and several students from Universities
had short-term observation placements.
Fulham Training Centre has 60 places for boys and girls aged between 5
and 16 years. Until the end of the year two children, one from Wandsworth
and one from Kensington, were attending the Centre but these have now
left and all the trainees are from the London Borough of Hammersmith.
Five Hammersmith children attend Kensington Training Centre. There were
60 trainees on the register and the average daily attendance was 45.
The syllabus included social training, music and movement, and simple
instruction using the Montessori method of teaching. The weekly swimming
lesson continues to be very popular with the children, two children
received certificates for completing 50 yards, and one of them received
a second certificate as a physically-handicapped swimmer.
A most popular new venture was in the attendance, on one morning
a week, of 15 trainees at the Adventure Playground in Chelsea. This has
a marked effect on the children's co-ordination and confidence.
This year the coach outing was to Woldingham Abbey, where the nuns
of the Convent of the Sacred Heart entertained them for the day.
Two exercusions were made to the Commonwealth Institute, and three
excursions for the 13-16 year olds to the Changing of the Guard, and other
places of interest. Walks along the tcwpath were taken by all age groups.
The Rev.D.F.Andrews, Vicar of All Saints, again kindly allowed the
use of the Vicarage Gardens for the Centre Sports Day. The weather was
most favourable, and the competitors went through their paces with great
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