London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
London County Council 1923
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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20
Revocation of
Article 15 of
Provisional
Regulations.
statutory supervision, who could benefit by attendance at such centres. The immediate
difficulty was that Article 15 of the Mental Deficiency Act Provisional Regulations,
1914, narrowed the interpretation of the duty of "supervision" and made it
doubtful whether expenditure upon occupation centres was legal. The difficulty
was, however, removed by the revocation of the Article by the Minister of Health,
on 21st March, 1923.
Scheme for
use of
centres.
12. It having been decided that it would be better, in the first instance at
least, for the Council to make use of occupation centres provided by a voluntary
agency rather than to attempt to establish and administer centres of its own, a
commencement was made in March, 1923, when 62 defectives were approved for
attendance at three centres (one established by the Central Association for Mental
Welfare, and two by the London Association for the Care of the Mentally Defective).
Each centre provided each week five daily sessions of two hours each. By the end
of the year three more centres and two groups, each of two centres, had been established
by the London Association. The grouped centres were provided to serve in
some measure the needs of districts in which defectives are too widely scattered to
make it possible for all to attend regularly at one centre; each centre in the group
is open for two or three sessions a week and thus a greater number of defectives are
able to get the benefit of attendance, though on two or three days a week only.
Centres in
use.
13. At 31st December, 1923, the centres in use were:—
| Centre. | Address. | Sessions a week. | Average daily attendance during December, 1923, of defectives under statutory supervision. |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Agnes Western" | Banner-street, E.C. | 5 | 12 |
| Whitechapel | Christchurch Hall, Hanbury-street, E. | 5 | 9 |
| Southwark | St. John's Institute, Larcom-street, Walworth | 5 | 8 |
| North Islington | Mission Hall, Gifford-street, N. | 5 | 10 |
| Poplar | St. Frideswide Hall, Follet Street, E | 5 | 13 |
| Hackney | St. Mark's Lecture Hall, Colvestone Crescent, E. | 5 | 10 |
| Battersea (a) | Congregational Small Hall, Battersea-bridge-road, S.W. | 3 | 5 |
| North Kensington (a) | 138, Portobello-road, W. 10 | 2 | 6 |
| Brixton (6) | Wheatsheaf Hall, South Lambeth-road | 3 | 7 |
| Deptford (6) | St. Paul's Institute, High-street | 2 | 9 |
| Total | — | 89 |
Payment.
The centres marked (a) and (b) are grouped.
14. The Council arranged to pay to the London Association (which undertook
responsibility for the management of all the centres, including that provided by the
Central Association for Mental Welfare) at the rate of £7 a year for every case recognised
for attendance at a centre which made an agreed percentage of possible attendance.
This method, however, was not convenient, and later the Council agreed to
contribute at the rate of £125 a year for each centre or group of centres approved
for use. The errant made in 1923 amounted to £513 16s. 7d.
Voluntary
cases.
15. The centres are not limited to receive only cases, under statutory supervision,
approved by the Council, though it is only in respect of the facilities afforded
for such cases that the Council's grant is paid. Cases as to which the Council has no
statutory duty may and do attend, and the Association receives a special grant in
aid from the Board of Control in respect of this voluntary work
16. The Council's grant to the Association is made subject to the condition.