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as incentive pocket-money to supplement state benefits which they receive. £1,620 was
paid out as incentive pocket-money during the year.
The illustration shows work being carried out in part of the industrial training
centre.
Guardianship: Four severely subnormal patients remained under guardianship of
the Council at the end of the year. One person was discharged from guardianship.
These patients for whom the Council is financially responsible are placed with the
Guardianship Society and are cared for by being boarded-out with specially chosen families
in the Sussex area.
Emergency Night and Weekend Service: A designated mental health officer must,
statutorily, be available at all times to deal with emergency calls for the mental health
service. This means providing a 24-hour service, seven days a week, including bank
holidays.
The mental health social workers augmented by some nursing staff provide a night and
weekend duty service on a rota basis. This emergency service operates from 5p.m. each evening
to 8.45a.m. the following morning and at weekends from 5p.m. on Fridays to 8.45a.m.
on Mondays,during which period all requests are directed to the duty doctor at St. Clement's
Hospital, Bow Road, E.3. who contacts the mental health officer on duty as required.
Approval of Doctors under Mental Health Act 1959: The Mental Health Act 1959
provides that one of the two medical recommendations required for the compulsory removal
of mentally disordered persons to hospital shall be made by a doctor approved for this
purpose by the local health authority as having special experience in the diagnosis or
treatment of mental disorders. One application was received during the year for approval
and following the appropriate consultation with members of the advisory panel the applicant
was approved for a period of five years.
Short-Term Care: Temporary care is arranged in homes and hospitals for mentally
subnormal patients to give relatives a welcome relief and to allow them to take a holiday.
Residential Hostel Accommodation: The Council accepts financial responsibility
for the care of mentally disordered persons in residential hostel accommodation provided
in the borough by a voluntary organisation, and in hostels provided by other local authorities
and voluntary associations. Where patients are in employment or have other incomes,
an assessment is made to determine their contribution towards their maintenance. Apart
from those under guardianship, 33 other persons were in hostels at the end of the year.
Special Care Units: A special care unit for juniors operates at the Cornwall
Avenue Training Centre, which caters for those trainees who are too severely handicapped
46.