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The Clinic practises the team approach through invariable involvement of the
Audiometricians (2 full-time officers) and the Peripathetic Teacher of the Deaf. Specialist advice
is frequently given by the Educational Psychologist and the Senior Speech Therapist. The Clinic
refers children for opinion to other consultants, notably the Child Psychiatrist.
The referrals come from Audiometricians (following routine or screening or special
examination of school children—see page 78), School Medical Officers and Local Health Authority
Child Health Clinics, and increasingly from the family doctors.
A very happy working relationship with the General Practitioners in the borough is especially
noteworthy.
MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS OF SCHOOLCHILDREN PRIOR TO EMPLOYMENT
Such statutory examination is required for every child attending school to ensure that
employment will not be detrimental to the child's health or educational progress.
The Departmental Medical Officers have carried out 172 such medical examinations during
1971.
CHILD GUIDANCE CLINIC
The Child Guidance Clinic is located at Crook Log. There are two part-time Psychiatrists
supplying 12 sessions per week, appointed by the Regional Hospital Board, 2 Educational
Psychologists engaged by the Education Department and 1 Senior Psychiatric Social Worker now
attached from the Social Services Department. it has been found almost impossible to maintain
a full establishment of staff, and 2 psychiatric social workers posts have been vacant during
the year.
Psychologists, apart from their assessment work in the clinic, visit schools and work in
close contact with school medical officers and teachers.
The Director of the Child Guidance Clinic, Dr. Margaret Munro reports: —
"542 (1970, 504) families visited the Child Guidance Clinic during the year, of these 201
(1970, 234) attended for the first time. Families with children of any age from birth to
school leaving age may be seen at the Clinic, and some 10% of the children seen are
pre-school age. Families are referred by the Medical Officers in the Health Department,
the Social Services Department, the Education Department, family doctors, and a small
number by the parents themselves".
SPEECH THERAPY CLINIC
I am indebted to our Senior Speech Therapist Mrs Christine Green for the following report:—
"The Borough was operating only a skeletal speech therapy service in 1971 due to shortage
of staff. Instead of the required one senior and three basic grade therapists, there was only
one basic grade therapist full-time at Murchison Avenue Clinic, and one at Sidcup Hill Clinic
until 13.9.71. The latter changed to part-time (21/33 hours) until the end of the year when
she left the Borough service. Consequently, only the most urgent cases could be seen.
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