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Springfield Day Hospital
This was opened in November, 1965, and 25 places are available.
Although there is no official attachment to Springfield Day Hospital,
a mental health social worker visits there twice a week for
the purposes of liaison with the mental health team. It would be
desirable to allow further time at the Springfield Day Hospital, but
at present this is not possible.
Out-patient clinics
The mental health social workers attend four psychiatric outpatient
clinics in the area. These are held twice weekly at St.
James' Hospital, once a week at St. Stephen's Hospital and once
a week at West Park and St. George's Day Hospital, the last
being staffed by the Medical Research Council.
Liaison with West Park Hospital
In order to lessen the difficulties of liaison which arise when a
mental hospital is situated some distance from the catchment area
it serves, each mental health social worker spends one day a week,
for a period of three months, with the Senior Psychiatric Social
Worker at West Park Hospital. Tn this way our staff are able to
become familiar with the hospital and personally known to all the
staff there. Overlapping with the West Park social workers can
be avoided and patients admitted from Wandsworth can be
followed-up personally.
COMMUNITY CARE OF THE MENTALLY SUBNORMAL
It is the aim of the mental health social workers to visit all subnormal
patients known to them who live at home with their families.
This work comprises rather more than half of the total case load.
Special clinics
During 1965 special clinics for diagnosis and counselling of subnormal
children and their parents were held fortnightly at Balham
Welfare Centre and monthly at St. Christopher's Centre, Battersea.
A clinic in the Battersea area had long been necessary and has
greatly reduced the travelling time of the mothers. In addition, a
similar clinic was held every two months at Putney Health Centre.
Mothers' groups
The purpose of mothers' groups is to bring together mothers
with young subnormal children so that they meet and discuss
their common problems with mental health social workers, a
health visitor also being present if possible. At certain groups
outside speakers are invited and in this way the mothers are enabled
to become well-informed about the services available for their
children.