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37
CHILD GUIDANCE REPORT
Dr. P. Holman, psychiatrist, reports on the year's work of
her section as follows :
Cases referred and Waiting from 1948.
164 new cases were referred to the Child Guidance Centre
during the year, and there were 99 cases from 1948, making 263
in all. Of these, 15 were withdrawn before investigation, 178
were dealt with in the course of a year, leaving a waiting list of
70. The number referred was, however, 97 less than in 1948, and
it is disappointing not to have been able to make a bigger reduction
in the waiting list and so lessen the time that each individual has
to wait.
The number of new cases seen (178) is 15 less than in 1948.
This may not seem altogether satisfactory, but there are a number
of factors to account for it.
(1) In 1947 and 1948 we were under considerable pressure
from the Educational Psychologist to see new cases, and
consequently took on more work than it was possible for
us to cope with satisfactorily. Consequently, many cases
remain in 1949 in urgent need of further work and
attention.
(2) There was an increase in the number of cases taken on
and in the amount of time devoted in the Clinic to treatment.
It will be seen from Table I that 16 more cases
were taken on for treatment in 1949 than in 1948. This
number very much more than balances the reduction of
15 sent for diagnosis. Each "treatment case" it must
be remembered consists of two people—mother and child
—who attend for 20-30 interviews. Thus a small number
of extra cases treated means a very big addition in the
number of hours worked.
(3) The physical limitations of space have now begun to be
felt. It will be noted from Table Ia that each full time
worker is conducting from 600-800 interviews a year and
all members of the staff must use their rooms for many
other purposes besides interviews. Moreover, rooms are
not to any extent interchangeable—Play Therapy cannot
be conducted in a Psychiatriatric Social Worker's room
and Psychiatric Social Workers cannot interview an adult
in a playroom. A room used by young children cannot
very well be used by older ones. Consequently, the very
limited accommodation at 70, Uxbridge Road is now a
severe handicap to further development.