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In the meantime, the needs of mentally handicapped children have been
provided for at the Council's two temporary junior training schools, at Streatham,
which will be replaced by the Windmill School, and at Clapham, which will
later be replaced by another purpose-built school in Monkton Street. We have
been most grateful too, for the facilities provided for a number of Lambeth
children at the Junior Training Schools at the Manor Hospital, Epsom, and
Queen Mary's Hospital, Carshalton. These children will be transferred to
Lambeth schools when the Windmill School is completed.
Hospital Links
Cane Hill Hospital, Coulsdon, which provides psychiatric hospital services
for East Lambeth, has been in the process of reorganising its Social Work
Department on the lines of a joint service with the Local Authorities in its
catchment area. The scheme provides for a high level of continuity of care and
strengthens the links between the Hospital and the community. One of our
mental health social workers has been acting as a joint Lambeth/Cane Hill
social worker since July and the arrangement has already proved of great benefit.
This is in addition to the existing arrangement whereby one of the consultant
psychiatrists from Cane Hill Hospital provides consultant sessions to the department
on a regular basis.
Discussions have continued with representatives of the St. Thomas' and
South Western Hospitals regarding the development of their plans for a comprehensive
psychiatric service in which the Borough's Mental Health Services
will be actively involved.
Links with the Manor and Queen Mary's Hospitals have already been
mentioned. We are also grateful for a great deal of assistance from their medical
staff in terms of consultation and advice.
Definite links of this type prove to be invaluable, but some of the
communication problems can be appreciated when it is noted that the department
is involved more or less frequently with psychiatric services of one type
or another which are provided by at least 21 hospitals!
Future Plans
Preparations were well advanced by the end of the year for the setting up
of a pilot area office providing social services for the Clapham Town and
Larkhall wards of the Borough. When this becomes operational, mental health
social work for that district will be based on the area office.