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An allowance of 10s. a head a year was authorised for the provision of summer
outings and Christmas extras for certain London patients under the guardianship of
nominees of the Guardianship Society, Brighton, who attend the Society's occupation
centres. In the past the cost of these amenities had been met by a private benefactor who
died.
The
Guardianship
Society,
Brighton
At the beginning of 1956 there were six girls in residence at Dover Lodge, 41 Wood
Vale, S.E.23, the hostel for twelve mentally deficient girls, which was opened in
September, 1955, and six were admitted during the year. All the girls were soon found
employment and contributed out of their wages amounts varying from 35s. a week to
the maximum charge of 42s. a week towards the cost of their maintenance. These
contributions were made after the authorised allowances for pocket money and clothing
(in each case 10s. a week at age 16 and 12s. at week at age 17 and over) and necessary
incidental expenses had been paid to the girls out of their wages. Two girls made such
good progress that they were placed in private lodgings from which they continued in
the same employment and were completely self-supporting. One girl was transferred
to another form of care under guardianship owing to behaviour difficulties and one was
transferred to a hospital because her mental condition deteriorated. At the end of the
year eight girls were in residence. All those admitted were placed under the guardianship
of officers in the public health department. The girls wash their own clothes and assist
in some of the domestic work in the hostel. Various amenities, including indoor games,
radio and television, are provided.
Close co-operation has been maintained between the warden and the medical and
administrative staff and social workers of the department and the results so far obtained
at the hostel are considered to be satisfactory.
Visits to the hostel have been made by members and officers of various authorities,
including the Ministry of Health, the Board of Control, the National Association for
Mental Health, the Visiting Justices, and other interested persons.
Hostel for
girls under
guardianship
Provision of
hostels by the
National
Association
for Mental
Health
During the year the National Association for Mental Health, with the support of the
Trustees of the London Parochial Charities, decided to establish two hostels in the
greater London area to accommodate E.S.N, school leavers—one for boys and one for
girls. The proposed hostels will be on similar lines to the Council's hostel, Dover Lodge,
but it is the intention of the Association that boys and girls admitted to the hostels shall
not be certified under the Mental Deficiency Acts but maintained under section 28 of
the National Health Service Act, 1946. To enable it to maintain cases in the Association's
hostels, when provided, the Council decided to seek an amendment of its scheme under
section 28 of the National Health Service Act, 1946, empowering it in appropriate cases
to maintain mentally deficient persons in suitable hostels without securing their judicial
certification under the Mental Deficiency Acts and a proposal on these lines was submitted
to the Minister of Health whose approval was awaited at the end of the year.
Approval would enable the Council to maintain cases without certification not only in
the Association's hostels, but also in Dover Lodge or in any other suitable hostel.
Wallingford
Farm
training
school
Suitable boys leaving special schools for the educationally sub-normal with no
homes or unsuitable homes, wishing to undertake farm work, market gardening, boot
repairing, brick laying, carpentry or painting, continued to be placed under the
guardianship of the warden of Wallingford Farm training school. The cost of maintaining
each boy at the school is £5 15s. 6d. a week, plus the cost of clothing. On
1st January, five boys were undergoing training at the school, five more were admitted
during the year and one left, leaving nine at the school on 31st December. Reports on
the progress of the boys have been satisfactory. Some of the boys have nearly completed
their period of training and it is hoped in the near future to place them in suitable
employment in the community where they will be partially or fully self-supporting.
The Board of Control has been asked to consent to the number of boys placed under
the guardianship of the warden being increased to 15.
Short-term
care
During the year temporary care in accordance with the provisions of Ministry of
Health Circular 5/52 was arranged for 37 patients (7 adults and 30 children) at various
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