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78
PART 5
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE
The work of the Mental Health Section continues to expand and
to improve in quality. The social workers, the majority of whom
are now professionally trained, are organised in area teams, and
throughout the year the teams have met with other statutory
workers and with voluntary workers in their area in order to
achieve the maximum co-ordination of the Mental Health services.
The social work carried out at hospitals, at the child guidance
clinics and at general practitioners' surgeries has been consolidated,
while contact with voluntary workers has led to an improvement
of the service given at the club for educationally subnormal school
leavers and to a most successful venture, the Sunday Lunch Club
for psychiatric ex-patients.
A very welcome improvement in the salary structure of our
teachers and instructors will no doubt contribute to the continued
improvement in the calibre of the staff and the quality of work
at our junior training school and adult training centres.
STATUTORY DUTIES UNDER THE
MENTAL HEALTH ACT, 1959
Statutory duties involving the admission of patients to hospital
remained heavy, but the arrangement whereby the night and weekend
work is shared with the London Boroughs of Lambeth and
Southwark ensures that this work is carried out with the minimum
demands on social work time. Our good relationship with the
hospitals enables us to give an efficient service to our patients
involving the minimum delays in admissions to hospital.
COMMUNITY CARE OF THE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED
This year there was a steady increase in the number of patients
referred to the mental health section for social work help and
other services. Many patients and their families are seen on a
short-term basis, sometimes for assessment purposes to help
general practitioners and hospitals in the decision on how best to
help the patient. Many other patients and their families are seen
over a long period of time and are given continuing casework help.