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Staff Training
One social worker and one member of the training centre staff were seconded for the
second year of their full-time training courses. Another social worker was seconded
for one year to the London School of Economics to complete his professional training
as a psychiatric social worker, and a supervisor-instructor from the Brockley Training
Centre was seconded to Durham Technical College on a one-year course leading to
the diploma of the Central Training Council for Teachers of the Mentally Handicapped
One social worker and two day centre supervisors attended day release courses
organised by the London Boroughs Training Committee.
An innovation this year was a two-week in-service training programme for newly
appointed mental health social workers, organised by Bexley Hospital.
Student Attachments
The section continued to play an active part in the training of students. One-day
visits of observation by nursing, health visitor, child care, teaching and social science
students took place regularly.
During 1968 case-work training was provided for five students from full-time
social work courses and two students from social science diploma courses.
Three students from the course for Teachers of the Mentally Handicapped came to
the junior training centre for their practical work.
Mental Health Week 10th—18th June, 1968
The Borough took part in Mental Health Week, organised nationally by the National
Association for Mental Health and locally by the Lewisham Association for Mental
Health. The Council's mental health establishments were open to the public and
members of the mental health team gave talks and showed films to senior classes
at six schools in the Borough. Parties of senior school children visited our centres
and showed a keen interest.
Co-operation with the Voluntary Organisations
Throughout the year close links have been maintained with the Lewisham Society for
Mentally Handicapped Children, the newly forried Lewisham Association for Mental
Health and many other voluntary organisations. In particular we would like to
acknowledge the help given by the Brighton Guardianship Society in finding both
permanent and short-term accommodation for the mentally handicapped, and the
Mental After-Care Association who have provided hostel accommodation for the
mentally ill.
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