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35
CHIROPODY
Chiropody service is at present provided in part directly by the Council and
in part by Lambeth Old People's Welfare Association to which the Council makes
a grant for the purpose.
Foot clinics, staffed by sessional chiropodists working a total of 41 sessions
a week at the end of the year, were provided at six of the Council's Welfare
Centres. An average of 230-240 treatments a week were given. Priority is given
to elderly or physically handicapped persons and expectant mothers.
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
Mental Health Social Workers
In order to cover the wide range of duties in the department, an overall ratio
of mental health social workers to population of 1:20,000 has been established.
Each social worker appointed is expected to be responsible for his or her own
personal case-load of patients under community care and to carry out statutory
duties as a mental welfare officer under the Mental Health Act 1959, as and when
required.
The care of patients in the community by the mental health social workers
has been greatly facilitated by the excellent working relationships which have
been built up between the social workers and the psychiatric hospitals, out-patient
clinics and other establishments, and the statutory and voluntary agencies dealing
with their patients. Consultation with the responsible medical officers of the
hospitals, and attendance at case conferences and discussions, have proved
particularly helpful in this respect.
A considerable amount of action and advice is required out of office hours and
this was previously covered by a rota of officers working centrally on a countywide
basis from County Hall. Since April, 1965, the Boroughs of Lambeth,
Southwark and Wandsworth have operated a joint emergency service in which each
individual Borough is responsible for the entire out of office hours period for one
week in every three, Responsibility for the "duty week" is shared by social
workers of the individual Borough being on call on a rota basis, thus interfering
as little as possible with the normal work of the department.
Training Centres for the Mentally Subnormal
The provision of day care, training and rehabilitation for the mentally subnormal
was planned on a county-wide basis by the L.C.C., and the available
facilities have been continued for the time being on similar terms. The new
London Borough boundaries left Lambeth with one mental health establishment
only, viz. Clapham Adult Training Centre.