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number of officers attend centre open days; these afford a valuable opportunity for
fostering good relationships with the family and liaison with centre staff.
Closeness of contact is usually maintained by mental health social workers through the
adolescent and adult years of the severely subnormal person, when the problems frequently
become accentuated by the illness and increasing age of the parents.
The subnormal—The majority of cases coming within this category are those who have
attended schools for the educationally subnormal, leaving at 16 years of age. Most of these
boys and girls are capable of unskilled or semi-skilled employment and the majority live
at home. An after-care service is offered to the parent, just prior to the boy or girl leaving
school; if accepted, visits are paid to the home at fairly regular intervals or as the need
arises, until the mental welfare officer, the parent, or perhaps the boy or girl feels that this
is no longer necessary. The amount of help required depends as much, if not more, upon
the degree of stability of temperament as of that of subnormality. The service is partly
advisory and the social worker may have to deal with any general or specific matters
affecting the young people's welfare. This covers a wide range, from pocket money to
income tax, from matters affecting employment or recreational activities to how to deal
with potential delinquency. More concrete help is given as the need arises; this may take
the form of limited financial help, arranging holidays or attendance at clubs, sometimes
making alternative living arrangements when the home situation breaks down.
Although friendly supervision is discontinued at about the age of 18 (unless active
assistance is still required), a number come to notice again at a later stage, sometimes some
years later, when further help is required. This may arise from such factors as homelessness
following the death of a parent, appearance before the Courts, illegitimate pregnancy or
sometimes problems following on marriage. In all such cases, any possible help or guidance
is given. This also applies to those subnormal persons returning to the community after a
period of hospital care, when efforts are made to assist rehabilitation.
The maladjusted school-leaver—After-care of the children leaving the schools for the
maladjusted is now the responsibility of the Public Health department. Some of these
children require little if any follow-up, having made a good adjustment during the last
months at school; others require help in varying degrees from placing in suitable lodgings
to arranging attendance at a psychiatric clinic or admission to hospital. The service includes
giving supportive help to the family, landlady or hostel staff as the case may be. With
children who are in the Council's care there is liaison between the mental health social
worker and the child care officer as and when the need arises, the mental welfare officer
taking over normally at the age of 18 if continuing help is required. This applies also to
the subnormal.
Hostels for the mentally disordered—Social work for the residents of the three hostels
so far established by the Council is undertaken by a mental health social worker or
psychiatric social worker from the division in which the hostel is situated, although contact
may be maintained by a social worker from another division with certain residents needing
this kind of continuing relationship.
The role of the social worker includes close co-operation with the youth employment
service and child care officers in the case of subnormal girls and with employment officers,
employers, psychiatric out-patient clinics and the hospitals in that of the mentally ill.
The social worker must also work closely with the staff of the hostel on all that concerns
the well-being of the residents, such as employment conditions, recreational activities,
relationships within the group and personality difficulties. They must also play their
part in helping to establish in the community those subnormal girls and mentally ill adults
who are ready to go into lodgings, residential work or their own homes and arrange
where necessary for their follow-up and care by the local mental health social worker or
other social worker.
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