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MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE
Mentally 111.
The National Association for Mental Health began, in 1943, the community
care of ex-service personnel discharged on psychiatric grounds. Such work was
extended to civilians by the National Association for Mental Health and the Mental
After Care Association, as agents of the former London County Council, on
5.7.1948, when the National Health Service Act came into force. The former L.C.C.
assumed control when the Mental Health Act 1959 came into operation on 1st
November 1960.
In the short period 1st April to 31st December 1965, the new London
Borough of Southwark endeavoured to provide services which implemented the
modern attitudes towards persons suffering from mental disorders that had been
envisaged in the new Act.
It was obvious that the strain on one Borough's resources in dealing with
emergency work at night and week-ends would be severe. Fortunately, the
London Boroughs of Lambeth and Wandsworth came to the same conclusion
and arrangements were made for an emergency control centre at the Lambeth
Town Hall, covering an area comprising a population of approximately 979,680.
Perhaps the most important step towards future success in community
care, was the progressive co-operation achieved by personal contact with the
consultants at the Maudsley, Cane Hill and Bexley psychiatric hospitals.
I am most grateful for their advice and their acceptance of my mental health
staff at every level. Weekly consultations, sometimes more frequently, either
at the Health Department headquarters or at the hospitals, took place: future
plans, as well as care of patients on discharge from hospital, were carefully
studied.
Shortage of staff, particularly trained and experienced social workers,
restricted the work of the mental health services especially as this Borough,
as well as all the other Inner London Boroughs, required more officers to man
the improved emergency service.
Arrangements were made later in the year for suitable mental health social
workers to attend advanced courses of full-time study covering a period of two
years: in-service training, both basic and refresher, was planned.
Subnormal and Severely Subnormal Children.
Junior Training Centres for children aged 5 to 16 years, open during ordinary
school hours, are organised as closely as possible on the lines of ordinary schools.
The difficulties are formidable; only patience, perseverence and staff with a sense
of vocation can help sub-normal and severely subnormal children to achieve the
fullest possible development and social adaptation in accordance with their limited
abilities.
Training Centres were provided as early as 1923 by the London Association
for Mental Welfare with financial assistance from the former London County
Council; prior to 1939 there were only 12 training centres administered by the
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