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IV COMMUNITY CARE SERVICES
GREEN PAPER, MAUD AND SEEBOHM REPORTS
Following the issue of the Report of the Committee on the Management of Local Government
(Maud Report) in 1967 and in this year those of the Committee on Local Authority and Allied
Personal Social Services (Seebohm Report) and of the Minister of Health on the Administrative
Structure of Medical and Related Services (Green Paper) a Special (ad hoc) Committee of the
Council was appointed in the latter part of the year to consider these reports together with
that of the London Boroughs' Management Service Unit on the Reorganisation of aLondon Borough.
MENTAL HEALTH
The Principal Social Worker (Mental Health) Miss A.M. Joseph reports as follows:
''Ten years ago social workers were aware that in a few months the 1959 Mental
Health Act would be in operation; an Act which would give a new look at Mental illness in
particular. Until April 1965, Inner London was dealt with as a whole, but then came the
transfer of the responsibility to the Boroughs.
The emphasis on Community Care in the Act was probably the most difficult for people,
whether relatives, neighbours or indeed other social workers to understand and accept.
The patients must be willing to accept visiting, they may not be compelled to attend Day
Centres or Clubs. It is still surprising to find how frequently mental health social
workers are expected to be able to exercise power and remove people to hospital or
indeed to enter their homes and to ignore the fact that the General Practitioner is the
pivot. It is also strange how many still think that there must be a psychiatric problem
when someone does not conform. It is not appreciated how different is working in and with
the community, from treating people in hospitals whether general or psychiatric.
Tower Hamlets is fortunate in having St. Clement's Hospital in its boundaries and
now that the London Hospital has absorbed St. Clement's and Mile End Hospitals it is
expected that the services for the patient will expand further. Much is talked of joint
appointments but I think it is appropriate to point out that Tower Hamlets has provided 5
social workers for St. Clement's referrals and the number dealth with was over 756 in
addition to other work done by these officers; the great difference is that the Borough
pays all the salaries and expenses involved. It is also seemingly often forgotten that it
is the Borough Mental Health Section that takes referrals from ''anywhere'' when the
patient comes to live in it's area. In the future it is hoped that there will be joint
appointments with hospital staff coming out into the community and that salaries and other
expenses will be shared. This has been expected for a long time. It would mean staff
would be doubled, visiting lists lessened for al1 and the emergency duties would come round
less frequently.
The department works well with the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association but I think
few realise that the Council gives an annual grant to the Association and recently has
provided much improved premises for a Day Centre, making no charge for rent. Working with
the Day Hospital for the Elderly, Pritchards Road Day Centre now opens (for Psychiatric
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