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MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE
I give below the report of Dr. S. Fahmy who commenced duty as
Psychiatric Adviser to the Borough in September 1969:
Throughout the year two consultants sessions have been available
to the Borough. Until 22nd September 1969 one locum consultant gave one
session to the Children's Department and another gave one session to the
Day Centre - thereafter the two sessions (Monday and Tuesdays) have been
given by one Consultant.
The Children's Department session was largely taken up by assessing
children at Woodstock Reception Centre and attendance of case conferences
Most of the children seen needed placements on account of home disruption
or failure of fostering- some had school avoidance and/or truanting
problems which were invariably a reflection of the disturbed home situation
in earlier years.
The second session was spent at the Day Centre offering support and
advice to the staff and having clinical conferences on cases and problems
presented by Mental Welfare Officers. These conferences highlighted
occasional inco-ordination between decisions taken at Warley Hospital
and difficulties of placements of some subnormal patients.
Both sessions revealed to me one common feature which was the case
load and the consequent confinement of work to crises situations.
Meaningful case work that might have averted crises could not be done on
account of under-staffing and frequent change of workers. The latter
phenomenon discouraged all attempts at doing effective case work with
individuals and families. It is not at all clear why there should be such
frequent changes. One is driven to the conclusion that on account of
the nationwide shortage of case workers some Boroughs tempt experienced
personnel by extra pay or emoluments.
In addition to these two sessions, some field workers - school
teachers and Head-teachers were invited to clinical conferences held
on Thursdays at the Child Guidance Clinic. This was a first step in
establishing contact with various community agents. Further steps are
contemplated, subject to approval and available time. The latter, I suggest,
can be found in the Monday session by giving the Day Centre and the Mental
Welfare Officers two hours. The third hour would be initially spent in my
visits (for introductory purposes) to psychiatric clinics and the different
establishments that deal with children - e.g. day nurseries, play groups,
nursery schools, paediatric units etc. The next step would be starting
seminars for one type of workers e.g. health visitors, nursery school staff,
community workers or general practitioners etc., (whichever group shows greater
readiness to attend).
OSBORNE WORKSHOP, OSBORNE SQUARE, DAGENHAM.
Arising out of a review of services for the mentally handicapped
undertaken for the Mental Health Sub-Committee, it was decided to drop the
title 'Sheltered Workshop' as this caused a certain amount of confusion to
industrial users, and the premises from September, 1969 became known as
the 'Osborne Workshop'.
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