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The hostel at Dover Lodge, Wood Vale, S.E.23, for sub-normal girls at work,
continued to function. The numbers in residence fell despite its being used by other
London boroughs at agreed rates of maintenance.
Special advisory clinics for backward children continued to be held at two
welfare centres where not only were the children seen and helped but the parents
advised regarding the progress and development of their children by medical staff
and social workers.
Short term (residential) care was provided for a variety of reasons for 84 subnormal
and severely subnormal persons, children and adults, during the year.
Of this total, 22 places were provided in hospital and 62 at Council expense at local
health authority, voluntary and privately maintained homes and convents etc. Of a
total of 129 (adult) recuperative holidays provided for persons on medical grounds
following recovery from recent acute illness, 21 were in respect of mentally ill persons.
Social activities. The Borough again participated in the training centre school
holiday scheme held at Dymchurch, Kent, in May, organised by the London Borough
of Hammersmith on behalf of the Inner London Boroughs when 18 Southwark
children and adults attended for two weeks each.
In addition to social clubs run by voluntary organisations, a social club for
subnormal persons continued to be held weekly at the Benhill Adult Training
Centre and a club for mentally ill persons attending both day centres was held
weekly at the Castle Day Centre. Both clubs were organised by Council staff, the
Council paying sessional fees to the leaders, also to the leader (at present a Council
officer) of one of the voluntary organisation clubs.
Grants and payments to other bodies and voluntary organisations were made
to the under-mentioned in respect of certain services provided for the mentally
disordered.
Biackfriars Settlement Work Centre
Helping Hand Organisation
St. Giles Centre
Talbot Settlement
Guy's Hospital Group Day Hospital (mentally ill)
National Association for Mental Health
National Society for Mentally Handicapped Children.
Approval of Medical Practitioners. The names of 12 medical practitioners were
approved by the Council during the year for the purposes of Section 28 of the Mental
Health Act, 1959.
Transport. To obviate the continued use of hired transport, it was decided to
arrange to purchase next year two specially adapted 15-seat Transit buses, for the
conveyance of subnormal children and the elderly mentally infirm to various Council
centres and units.
Crude Spirit Drinkers. In my previous report I mentioned the increasing problem
arising from the large number of vagrant crude spirit drinkers in the metropolis,
particularly in Southwark and that the matter was being referred to the London
Boroughs' Association. Despite the representations made to the Home Secretary for
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