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MENTAL HEALTH
Miss Z. Mason, B.A., A.I.M.S. W., Principal Mental Health Officer
During the year 219 mentally subnormal and 323 mentally ill persons were referred
to the department; at the end of the year a total of 1,087 mentally disordered persons
were receiving some form of community care.
Social Work
A team of fourteen social workers provide a case-work service to mentally disordered
persons and their families. For this purpose the Borough is divided into districts and
each social worker has responsibility for all non-urgent referrals from his district.
Casework is supervised in the South of the Borough by the Assistant Principal Mental
Health Officer, and in the North by a Senior Mental Health Officer.
One social worker specialises in alcoholism and problems of addiction. She liaises
closely with the Alcoholics Unit, Bexley Hospital. Two social workers are mainly
concerned with individuals placed in residential accommodation provided by the
Borough at 'Honor Lea' Hostel, or in voluntary homes or hostels.
Close liaison is maintained with the catchment area hospitals—Bexley Hospital,
Dartford Heath; Cane Hill Hospital, Coulsdon Surrey; Darenth Park Hospital,
Dartford, Kent. A monthly case conference is held at Bexley Hospital and is attended
by all social workers. A social worker who has a special responsibility to liaise with
subnormality hospitals, visits Darenth Park Hospital once a fortnight.
Emergency Work
Mental health social workers are appointed by the Borough as "Mental Welfare
Officers" under Section 6 of the Mental Health Act, 1959, and carry out statutory
duties on a rota basis. After 10 p.m. on week days and at week-ends the rota is
operated jointly with the Borough of Greenwich. During the year the section received
333 calls requesting immediate action with a view to hospital admission.
Guardianship
Formal guardianship under the Mental Health Act, 1959, provides powers of control
which may be necessary in the case of a small minority of mentally disordered persons
for their own welfare or for the protection of other persons in instances when admission
to hospital is not considered necessary. The Guardian may be either the local health
authority or another person, but in the latter case, the sanction of the Authority has
to be obtained before guardianship has any effect. The powers of a Guardian may be
described as equivalent to those of a father over a child under the age of 14.
There is only one person under formal guardianship to this Authority at present;
she is a 22-year old severely subnormal girl whose mother is so mentally incapacitated
as to be incapable of taking any responsibility or having any contact with her daughter.
The girl is cared for by a foster mother under the auspices of the Guardianship Society,
Brighton. She is visited and taken out by the Assistant Principal Mental Health
Officer, who reports favourably on the care and attention she receives. The girl looks
forward eagerly to these visits and they have undoubtedly helped; her behaviour and
outlook have improved considerably by the personal attention she receives.
Such visits are also made whenever possible to children and adults who are maintained
by this Authority in registered homes but who are not under formal guardianship,
to ensure that they are receiving adequate care and attention. These visits are
helpful not only to the clients but also to the persons in whose care they are; the
interest shown is appreciated and the support offered welcomed. In many instances
the knowledge that these visits are made have also been helpful to the relatives.
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