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end of 1960. Planning and the formulation of policy, the supervision of training, general
control over admissions, the exclusion and transfer of trainees, the allocation of industrial
work to centres and the arranging of transport and home teaching were retained as central
responsibilities.
Under the guidance of a principal medical officer, the training centre service is supervised
centrally by the Organiser of Training Centres. The Industrial Manager, whose responsibilities
include the obtaining and allocation of industrial work to adult centres, is also
based at the County Hall. Supervisory staff at the centres are appointed and allocated
centrally, whilst the engagement of subordinate staff and general day-to-day administration
is handled divisionally.
Staff establishment—In 1961 the Health Committee reviewed the divisional staffing
structure which had been agreed consequent upon the reorganisation of the service. It
became evident that the staff had been working under extreme pressure as a result of
increasing demands. Considerable credit is due to the divisional mental welfare officers
and their deputies for the leadership which they showed and to all the staff engaged in
this work for their conscientiousness during the difficult time of transition to the
requirements of the new legislation and the change-over from a centralised to a locally
run service. The Committee agreed (subject to a further review before 1 April, 1963)
to increase the establishment by 18 additional positions. The total approved divisional
establishment at the end of 1961 was 95; which comprised nine divisional mental welfare
officers, nine deputy divisional mental welfare officers, 24 senior mental welfare officers,
15 mental welfare officers (redesignated mental welfare officers, Grade I), 27 assistant
mental welfare officers (redesignated mental welfare officers, Grade II), nine psychiatric
social workers and two escorts.
Recruitment to the grade of psychiatric social worker proved difficult and at the end of
the year although there were 11 qualified psychiatric social workers on the staff only four
were engaged solely on case work, the remaining seven occupying more senior positions.
In 1959 the staffing of training centres followed a formula fixed several years before,
namely a supervisor and one assistant supervisor for each 15 (or substantial part of 15)
trainees except the first 15, with attendants as necessary, subject to the proviso that the
over-all ratio of staff (supervisory and attendants) should not exceed one to ten. A slight
strengthening of the supervisory staffing of the larger centres has since been found desirable
and in 1960 an additional assistant supervisor for each centre with 100 or more trainees
and an extra assistant supervisor for each older girls' centre were authorised.
The number of staff employed in the training centre service at the end of 1961 was 134,
comprising the Organiser of Training Centres, the Industrial Manager, 22 supervisors,
71 assistant supervisors, 36 attendants and three home teachers.
Staff training—The Council's proposals to the Ministry envisaged an extension of
arrangements for in-service training, both basic and refresher, for social workers in the
mental health services, in conjunction with the recognised training bodies where appropriate
and otherwise as necessary. The main object was to broaden the field of interest
and activities of the staff in the various aspects of mental disorder and to keep their
knowledge up to date. It was also proposed that there should be increasing participation
by suitable social workers in general and advanced courses of full-time study.
The pressure on available staff in maintaining an expanding service and, in particular,
the need to provide sufficient senior officers for duty at the County Hall outside normal
office hours to deal with emergency work hampered the efforts made to provide training
facilities.
Nevertheless, selected mental welfare officers attended all or some part of a series of
lectures on mental health organised at the County Hall for health visitors; others attended a
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