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61
It is a pleasure to acknowledge the unremitting assistance and help of Mr. M. S. T. Jones
and also of Mr. A. M. Murray, who has prepared the records set out above.
Child Guidance
The Council has continued to co-operate with certain organisations responsible
for child guidance clinics in various districts of London, by placing at their disposal
information regarding school children through the education and school medical
services. For the past two years a special grant in aid, of £400 a year, has been paid
by the Council for the treatment of school children at the London child guidance
clinic, while in the year 1938 small grants have been paid to the Creighton House
clinic, East London clinic, Institute of Child Psychology, and the Tavistock clinic.
Information with regard to the work has been received from the clinics concerned,
and is set out below.
Maudsley
hospital
child
guidance
clinic.
The child guidance clinic attached to the Maudsley mental hospital has continued under
the direction of Dr. Mapother, the medical superintendent. Up to the beginning of December
work continued in the children's department on the same lines as previously, the clinic being a
sub-division of the out-patients' department pending the building of new premises. This new
building consists of an independent out-patients' department for children with a separate entrance
some distance from the main entrance to the hospital, and a complete hospital unit of 30 beds,
together with playgrounds, schoolroom, and research facilities. The out-patients' department
was opened early in December, 1938, but the in-patients' section is not yet complete.
An additional medical officer has been appointed to the staff and the time given by the
physicians to the children's department has been nearly doubled. The department is open daily
through the week and all cases are now seen by appointment. Owing to the large number of
neurological cases attending for psychiatric reasons, a neuro-psychiatric clinic has been opened
on one afternoon a week. Arrangements are being made to take advantage of the new playroom
accommodation by expanding the present programme of play activities, and sessions for group
play therapy and play observations and remedial teaching by play have been arranged. The
increase of staff, iogether with increased voluntary assistance, has enabled greater attention
to be given to intensive individual therapy. Much of the work, however, is still of a consultant
nature, the number of cases suitable for individual therapy forming a rather small proportion
of those attending. Cases treated by adjustment of school and social conditions, placement,
etc., still form the bulk of the children kept on after the initial investigation.
The number of new cases from London schools was 397, of whom 231 were boys and 166
girls. The age distribution was: under 5 years, 35; 5 to 8 years, 119; 9 to 11 years, 99; 12
to 14 years, 103; over 14 years, 41. The reasons for reference were: difficult and unmanageable,
59; backwardness, 50; nervousness, 40; enuresis and incontinence, 34; intelligence tests, 29;
stealing and lying, 25; fits, 22; nervous movements, 23; sex difficulties, 14; temper tantrums,
13; truancy, 12; speech difficulties, 10; night terrors and fears, 10; other reasons, 56. The
results obtained were: satisfactorily adjusted, 18; partially adjusted, 33; unadjusted, 27;
unsuitable, 65; transferred, 4; consultations and psychological examinations only, 49; still
under treatment. 201.
The work at the London child guidance clinic is under the direction of Dr. William Moodie,
who reports that the number of cases dealt with continues to increase, although no additional
staffhas been appointed, while the work and methods used have evolved to a maximum of efficiency
and economy.
London
child
guidance
clinic
The methods employed have not varied greatly from those employed in past years, though
increasing experience permits of improvements in technique. The results of treatment, so far
as cases can be followed up, appear to remain satisfactory. The clinic will have been open ten
years in July, 1939, and it is proposed, as soon as staffing permits, to institute a wider system of
following-up of all children treated over a period of years. The increased co-operation with school
care committees is evidenced by the greater number of children referred through them. The
clinic staff express gratitude to the staff of the Council for the help and co-operation received.
The average period of treatment is just over six months. Hence, relatively few of the cases
accepted during the year would be completed by the end of the year. Teaching activities continue.
Three Fellows in Psychiatry and 23 mental health course students from the London
School of Economics undertook courses of training in practical work.
The number of new cases from the London schools was 203, of whom 136 were boys and 67
girls. The age distribution was : under 5 years, 11 ; 5 to 8 years, 74; 9 to 11 years, 63; 12 to
14 years, 42; over 14 years, 13. The reasons for reference were: stealing, 32; behaviour
difficulties, 24; nervousness, 22; intelligence tests, 21; enuresis, 19; backwardness, 15; unmanageable,
15; speech difficulties, 12; sex difficulties, 10; truancy, 8; night terrors and fears,
5; temper tantrums, 5; fits, 1; other reasons, 14. The results of treatment were: adjusted, 4;
improved, 12 ; not improved, 11; unsuitable or not co-operative, 4; special service or placement,
9; consultations only, 54; still under treatment, 107; moved away and treatment
incomDlete. 2.
East London
child
guidance
clinic
The work in connection with the East London child guidance clinic has continued under
the direction of Dr. Emanuel Miller. During the year the centre was transferred from the Jews'
Free school to premises at 19, Rampart Street, Commercial Road, E.l, where there are a special
play room in which all free activities associated with play can be carried out without hindrance,
and a suite of rooms for treatment and investigation admirably suited for the team method