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an occupational therapist and an instructor should be appointed initially, and
also for clerical help to be provided. This was achieved and, together with
domestic staff, viz. a handyman,a cleaner, and a mid-day assistant for
mealtimes, the Centre was ready to function in May, 1967.
It was, of course, understood that mental welfare officers should have
an interest in the Centre and should be available to assist when applicable in
crises affecting centre-goers, etc.
The First Year of the Centre
Statistics etc. - Although the following statistics summarise the work of the
Centre, they do not give any measure of the great success of the Centre in terms
of human happiness and dignity - it is hoped to convey this in subsequent
paragraphs:-
Total number of referrals 59
Total number of individual cases who attended
the Centre (either during part of whole of
period) 54
No. of cases who failed to keep up attendances 12
No. of cases who gained employment 12
No. of cases re-admitted to hospital 8
Total attendances 5096 (half-day sessions)
No. of cases attending regularly at end
of period under review 27 (11 making good progress )
(12 making slow progress )
( 4 no apparent improve- )
( ment at present. )
Most of the referrals were made by the medical staff of Warley Hospital,
with whom there is close contact, i.e. regular visits are paid to the hospital
by both the senior medical officer responsible for the Mental Health Service and
the mental welfare officers, who also maintain contact and liaise between patient
and agencies concerned with health and welfare.
It soon became obvious that the flow of referrals, if all were approved,
would soon absorb the resources of the Centre and promptly the Health Committee
agreed that a further instructor should be appointed so that in its second year
the Centre would be able to increase its number of places from 20 to 30.
As each new case was accepted the variety of differences between cases
e.g. temperament, social background, educational attainment, degree and type of
illness, made it obvious that within the centre streaming would have to be
introduced for groups of people who would be compatible with each other so that
their rehabilitation could have due regard to one or more of the following
objectives:-
1. To restore or promote self confidence.
2. To promote and stabilize better social relationships.
3. To encourage work habit with a view to return to open employment.
It has been found in practice that some people work better on their own,
e.g. typewriting, painting, and other quiet pursuits (including a wide range of
activities initiated by the Occupational Therapist); others work better in small
groups; whilst others enjoy the more robust atmosphere of a large workroom, where