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88
Home teaching of the mentally handicapped
Our Home Teacher visited 19 patients in 1969, carrying out
681 visits. The Home Teacher is also doing two sessions of 1½-2
hours a week at Balham Training Centre organising further education
classes for the trainees.
Liaison with Queen Mary's Hospital, Carshalton
A social worker continues to attend Queen Mary's Hospital on
a fortnightly basis for liaison purposes and we are very grateful
for the continued use of the Fountain School for a small group of
seven Wandsworth children who require special care unit facilities.
Morden Special Care Unit
We are grateful to the London Borough of Merton for the use
of two special care unit places for Wandsworth children.
Liaison with the Manor Hospital, Epsom
A mental health social worker continues to attend the hospital
for liaison purposes, and the out-patient clinic held at the William
Harvey Centre, Roehampton, has proved a most useful service
for the mentally handicapped in Wandsworth. The psychiatrist
and the psychologist who attend this clinic have been most helpful
over the management of many of the mentally handicapped who
live in the community. Three adult mentally handicapped men
requiring Special Care Unit facilities attend the Manor Hospital
on two days a week.
Club for E.S.N. school leavers
A group of voluntary workers are now working closely with a
mental health social worker in running this club for E.S.N, school
leavers. The school leavers are followed up by mental health social
workers on leaving school and are offered this service. Some of
these young people would have great difficulty in fitting into
ordinary clubs, and attendance at this special club helps them to
gain confidence and to mature.
Gateway Clubs
The Wandsworth Society for Mentally Handicapped Children
continued to run the very successful Gateway Club for mentally
handicapped young people which now has a membership of about
100, and the club for mentally handicapped children under 16
with a membership of approximately 40. The thriving swimming
club meets at Putney Baths each Friday evening and it is most
encouraging that so many of the members are now able to swim.