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(v) Persons needing long-term care who are (a) in outside employment; (b) not working
(including the aged mentally infirm).
'Chellow Dene', the Council's first hostel for mentally ill persons, opened in specially
converted premises in Putney in 1962 with accommodation for 23 men and women between
the ages of approximately 18 and 60 years, who require a period of sheltered accommodation
to help establish themselves in employment and in the community when recovering from
mental illness. Admissions are on a trial basis, normally of one month. During this
period, and indeed during the whole period of stay, very active rehabilitation is often
necessary by the warden and psychiatric social worker to help the residence in the
process of re-adjustment. During 1964 a total of 75 persons were resident in the hostel,
the average stay being ten weeks ; the length of stay varied between one day and twelve
months. At the end of the year 18 persons were resident.
When the Council was required by the Minister of Health in Circular 2/62 to submit
its ten-year plan for the Development of Health and Welfare Services, further consideration
was given to the hostel development programme and the categories of mentally disordered
persons for whom such accommodation should be provided. A total of 19 hostels was
proposed for the ten years up to 1972 ; of these, 11 hostels were programmed for the
first five-year period to 1967.
The general principle was adopted that in the first instance there should be one hostel
for each of the approved categories, so that the need for further hostels of each type could
be re-examined in the light of experience. It was found in practice, however, that consideration
of possible sites in relation, for example, to existing and projected health service
premises and to the location of nearby light industry and neighbouring properties, determined
to a large extent the categories of persons for which hostel accommodation could
be suggested, with the result that a second or even third hostel of a particular type might
be possible before the provision of an initial hostel in another category. This was recognised
when the first revision of the ten-year plan was carried out in 1963; at the same
time the development programme was expanded to provide for a total of 26 hostels in
the period up to 1973. The following additional priority categories were approved:
(i) Chronic unemployable mentally ill persons needing long-term care.
(ii) Employable mentally ill persons requiring long-term care.
(iii) Employable subnormal women requiring short or long-term care.
(iv) Subnormal or severely subnormal persons of both sexes not able to be employed
in the community and needing long-term care.
'Honor Lea', the Council's first purpose-built hostel for mentally ill persons, opened
at Brockley Rise, Lewisham in September 1964 with accommodation for a maximum
of 59 persons requiring a sheltered hostel environment after hospital care or a period of
support away from home surroundings to prevent a more serious breakdown. Admission
is normally restricted to persons who are sufficiently recovered as to be capable of undertaking
outside employment within a reasonable period following admission or are suitable
to attend a day centre for the mentally ill in South London. By the end of the year 44
persons had been accommodated in the hostel and 33 persons were resident at 31 December.
Further progress made towards the implementation of the hostel development programme
is shown in the section of the report dealing with health services premises.
Voluntary organisations—In addition to direct provision of hostels, the Council places
and maintains a number of mentally disordered persons in hostels and homes under the
control of voluntary organisations and with private persons. In particular, use has been
made of homes provided by the Mental After-Care Association for the long-term care of
persons suffering from mental illness. Persons are maintained at homes owned or sponsored
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