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38
Brunswick House
71. The usefulness of Brunswick House was increased considerably by the
enlargement of the institution to accommodate 25 additional patients, to which
reference was made in the Annual Report for 1928 (Vol. II., p. 41). This work
was completed during 1929, and the institution now accommodates 75 high-grade
tractable adult defectives, chiefly cases who have proved or are likely to prove
suitable for agricultural work. At the end of the year the institution was full.
72. It has been decided to employ at the institution from 1st April, 1930,
a housekeeper-matron (the superintendent's wife) instead of a seamstress.
73. It was decided to carry out necessary alterations to the superintendent's
cottage at an estimated cost of £418. Other works which were carried out were
the erection of a shelter for patients in the recreation field and the provision of a
new tarred ash drill square.
74. The Rev. D. Bayley was appointed to be visiting chaplain of the institution,
with effect from 1st January, 1930, in succession to the Rev. W. E. Gardiner.
75. During 1929, about £388 was received by the superintendent in payment
of wages earned by patients in daily employment locally, and was credited to the
Council.
South Side Home.
76. During 1929 it was decided to re-organise the South Side Home, to permit
of its use mainly as a hostel for the accommodation of higher grade female adult
patients suitable for employment in daily domestic service. The institution is well
situated for such a purpose. It is no longer necessary to retain a school section at
the South Side Home in view of the provision made at The Manor.
77. The development of the hostel system necessitated the admission to the
institution of patients slightly different from some of those already accommodated
there. To enable this to be done it was decided to transfer elsewhere a number of
the inmates in substitution for a better class of patients who would be more suitable
for an institution of the hostel type. Patients are to be admitted in future to the
South Side Home in the first instance on leave of absence on trial from other
institutions in which little or no opportunity for placing out exists. This will enable
a patient to be returned speedily to the institution from which she is licensed, should
she prove unsuitable for hostel life. If, after a reasonable trial the patient proves
suitable for retention at the home, arrangement will be made for her formal transfer.
A sufficient number of patients is available during the day to ensure that the
domestic work of the home will be carried on efficiently.
78. The reorganisation necessitated an increase of the fixed staff by the
appointment of a deputy superintendent and a manual training officer (the latter
required to teach music and games and to take charge of the company of girl
guides), and a reduction by dispensing with the services of the certificated teacher
who had been in charge of the discontinued school department, a chief charge
nurse and a charge nurse. It was estimated that this would effect a saving to the
Council of £120 a year during the first year and an average of £70 a year in
subsequent years.
(c) Prospective accommodation.
79. In the Annual Report for 1928 (Vol. II., p. 42) the extent of the Council's
need for additional institutional accommodation for defectives was discussed fully.
The experience gained during 1929 gave no cause for modification of the forecast
then given.
80. Bearing in mind that the re-classification of poor law accommodation in
London which would be necessary when the Local Government Act, 1929, came into
operation would be unlikely to set free any substantial block of such accommodation
which would be suitable for use as institutional accommodation for the mentally
Housekeepermatron.
Superintendent's
cottage.
Visiting
chaplain.
Employment
of patients.
Reorganisation
of
institution.
Type of
patient to be
accommodated.
Changes in
staff.
Proposed
new colony.