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his fellow men through his disability, can turn in times of need; often the social worker is the only
person to whom a family, bravely bearing the burden of caring for a severely subnormal person, can
express their feelings of distress, the difficulties in which they find themselves, and their sufferings
which they take such pains to hide from the world.
It is in this field particularly that further developments can be expected when additional staff
can be made available.
It was hoped that St. Judes Hostel for subnormal boys and men opened by the Lord Mayor in
June, 1967, would meet the requirements of an extensive group of such people who had no proper
home when the City extended considerably the age range of 16-18 years for which this hostel was
originally planned. It has been found that the hostel provides excellent service for young men
who have had a period of rehabilitation in hospitals, boys straight from residential E.S.N. schools and
men in their forties who have had a stable home life until their natural guardians are unable to
continue caring for them. It has become apparent, however, that subnormal men who have lived
independent, often vagrant, lives, probably extremely unsuccessfully and at a very poor level,
find it impossible to adjust to a hostel life where they are expected to maintain an acceptable
standard in matters of personal hygiene and social behaviour. They have failed to integrate with the
group and cannot accept the necessary supervision exercised by the Warden and his staff. Their
presence in the hostel has been found to be detrimental to other residents who themselves have
considerable difficulties of adjustment. It was not necessary actually to discharge any of these men
as they left of their own accord. It is now thought this group of men may be better helped by
placement in supervised lodgings and plans are in hand to develop this work with the help of an
Accommodation Officer, whom it is the City Council's intention to appoint in the forthcoming year.
The hostel is being used for a small afternoon Club, meeting once a week. This "Monday Club"
provides for a group of severely subnormal adults who are unsuitable for training centres. The
relatives of these patients are grateful for the modest relief that this Club gives them. It would be
impossible to provide this service without transport; this is, therefore, provided by the City Council
and the kindly help given by our drivers should be recognised. They are indeed making a valuable
contribution to the success of the Club.
During 1968 the Mental Health Section has given a good deal of attention to the deployment of
staff and to extending support from senior staff. The exacting nature of the work imposes great
stress and it is very important that help and advice can be readily obtained.
In addition, joint programmes were organised with the Children's and Welfare Departments to
introduce new social workers to the City to gain a background of knowledge of the work of their
particular local authority and busy senior officers from many Council Departments helped by giving
friendly and informative talks.
Following the appointment of two Assistant Principal Mental Health Social Workers both of
whom hold the Mental Health Certificate, and the recruitment of other professionally qualified
social workers, it has been possible to accept for training students on varying social work courses for
both observation and case work placements. It is, of course, proper that the City Council should
help in the training of social workers. By this means, too, the extensive social work of the section
becomes known and should have a beneficial effect on recruitment by attracting trained staff to the
service.
As a general development the City is extending opportunities to medical students to learn of the
services of a local health authority. The Mental Health Section may be said to have pioneered in
this field as for many years medical students on a psychiatric course from a teaching hospital have
spent a day with the section, going out with mental health social workers and taking part in any
activity in progress. Latterly, arrangements have been made for senior staff to give regular talks to
Middlesex Hospital students receiving psychiatric training.
From the time the City Council became responsible for the Mental Health Services it was
apparent that there was a very great need to survey the City's need in the field of mental health and
with the knowledge so obtained plan development. The pressure of day to day work made it
impossible for existing staff to undertake this very extensive piece of work. The first task undertaken
by Dr. J. D. Hailstone, Senior Psychiatric Registrar at St. Mary's Hospital, appointed in 1967 by the
City Council on a part-time basis, was to conduct a survey and to make proposals for the City's future
services. His task proved to be formidable and it was not until November that the Medical Officer
of Health was able to present his report to the Health Committee.
The report is of the highest calibre. The Survey covers the present work of the City Council in the
mental health field; interviews have been held with many organisations concerned with mental