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38
Special attention was paid during the year to the community care work
of the social workers, and a survey of this work was carried out. This showed
the work to be increasing and to be already substantial. Some 400 requests for
social work help were received in the year from community sources. In view of
this special attention is now being given to the assessment of these cases with
a view to providing a more efficient and effective service for them.
Attention was also given to the development of group work, and social
workers initiated and helped with groups both for patients and relatives. This
is seen as a potentially fruitful field of work in helping several individuals
simultaneously.
Students
The Training Officer with the assistance of the social work staff continued
to provide practical training for student social workers from the Croydon
Technical College and elsewhere. The number of regular students was increase
from 8 to 12 and a number of others visited for shorter periods of work.
Visitors
The mental health services in Croydon continue to be of interest nationally
and internationally and the flow of visitors from many different places and discintion
plines continued through 1967.
1967 was a year of movement and fluctuating fortunes for the Industrial
Units. Waylands, the new craftwork, training and social centre for 100 mentally
handicapped adults and 100 physically handicapped adults opened on 2nd
January and to it were transferred all the trainees from the temporary Bensham
Adult Training Centre together with some who were unsuitably placed at the
Crosfield Industrial Unit.
The premises of the Bensham Adult Training Centre were then subsequently
utilised as an assessment and rehabilitation centre accepting all disabilities,
leaving the Crosfield Industrial Unit as a sheltered workshop.
It was an unsettled year for industry and due to the economic situation
several contracts were cut back which at one time represented an earnings loss
to the units in the region of £10,000 over the year. By concentrated efforts and
with the help of the Industrial Advisory Panel alternative contracts were obtained
locally. At the end of the year the leeway had not entirely been made up but the
final quarter showed a gratifying increase over the previous year's output.
Information about the Centres and their activities during the year follows.