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The present staff consists of one part-time psychiatrist (eight sessions per week),
one psychiatric social worker, two educational psychologists and one psychotherapist;
the psychiatric social worker and the psycho-therapist working in conjunction
with the pyschiatrist.
Miss Best, Educational Psychologist, who also undertook psycho-therapy and
had served the district most efficiently and loyally for twenty-three years, unfortunately
died in March, 1965.
Although the Centre and Clinic are housed in one building the work is divided,
the educational psychologists dealing mainly with educational problems and the
assessment of intelligence. If the problem appears to be basically emotional and
psychiatry is indicated, the case is referred through the School Health Service to
the psychiatrist, for diagnosis and treatment by the psychiatrist and psycho-therapist.
Cases are also referred to the psychiatrist by assistant medical officers and general
medical practitioners, or parents may enlist the help of the clinic directly. Assistant
medical officers and health visitors meet the psychiatric staff once a month to discuss
general problems arising in their work. The types of cases dealt with in the clinic,
some of whom are referred to as maladjusted and unable to conform to ordinary
everyday behaviour, present problems of psychosis, neurosis, brain damage, and
character disorder.
Owing to staff shortage, there is a considerable delay for diagnostic interview
and subsequent therapy.
In conjunction with the Centre and Clinic, there is a Special Selection Unit at
Chase Side School for children aged eight to eleven years who have shown gross
emotional instability. They are admitted on the approval of the psychiatrist. These
children are usually of high or average intelligence but have behaviour problems
which make it impossible for them to be taught in association with ordinary children.
While at the Unit an endeavour is made to assess their potentialities and needs
so that they may be placed in a suitable school. There is also a special full-time
class for maladjusted children up to eleven years of age, who have not been
formally ascertained. This allows them to be taught in a small group, an arrangement
found to be of great benefit. It is hoped to expand this arrangement to include
school children of all ages. Elsewhere there are two remedial classes for special
tuition for children who have specific difficulties such as reading. They attend in
groups for two half-days a week.
Recuperative Holidays
Recuperative holidays of two to four weeks duration are also arranged under
Section 48 of the Education Act, 1944, and medical examination showed considerable
benefit was experienced by the 27 children who went on holiday. Summer
holidays are arranged by the Invalid Children's Aid Association for physically
handicapped children and five children were able to have a holiday through this
scheme.
(Statistical Tables 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59—see pages 141 -142).
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