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7
The Mental Health service developed as planned with the
opening of a new Day Centre/Hospital, and an Adult Training
Centre, both in temporary buildings. New premises are being
designed.
The use of not less than 10 places in a Mental After Care
Association's Home in Croydon, for ex-hospital patients able to
go to work, has operated well.
Recruitment with Warlingham Park Hospital of social workers
was commenced and the building up of a mental health team for
hospital and community care was begun. Progress has been slower
than we had hoped, but a national shortage of trained staff
makes this inevitable. To help in meeting this need the
Education Committee agreed to arrange as speedily as possible a
2 year social workers' course, leading to a national qualification,
at the Croydon Technical College. In short much was
accomplished, the results of which will show in the near future.
Health Education
It is a valid claim that the routine duties of the staffs of
Public Health departments, especially Medical Officers, Health
Visitors and Public Health Inspectors, are directed mainly to
education for the promotion of health and prevention of disease.
Necessarily the first requirement is knowledge of what to teach.
Here we are wise to be cautious and admit that there are still
many fundamental problems to be solved. When however facts are
known, the methods for their presentation are all important.
Even born teachers are improved by training. For those without
this gift it is essential to learn how best to impart knowledge
to others. Furthermore there should be continuous testing of
results, so that time, energy and opportunities are not wasted.
These are the functions of a trained Health Education Officer
and it is difficult to understand how any Health department can
properly fulfil its duties without such an appointment. It was
very encouraging therefore to obtain authority for an additional
Post of this status at Annual Review of Staff. It was also decided
that 'Home Safety' which obviously deals mainly with
education, should become a responsibility of the Health Education
section.
Clean Air
The Corporation have naintained their programme and steady
Progress was made towards the 10 year target of all Croydon as a
Smoke control area. I am certain that clean air must be our