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PART IV
SOCIAL SERVICES OF HEALTH DEPARTMENT
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
During the year the Principal Medical Officer for Mental Health has brought closer together the care
of the patients seen in the hospital setting and then transferred to the community. His time has
been increasingly called upon to give advice on psychiatric problems, especially by the School
Health and Children's Departments.
Nationally the spotlight of attention continues to be focussed on the services for the mentally
disordered. In Haringey the Mental Health Services continue to develop and expand and important
work has been done in consolidating the progress already made and in strengthening the existing
links with the other associated services.
Staff movement has made its own contribution to our difficulties in making progress at the rate
to be desired less easy of attainment and in order to combat those difficulties a rising from too
little money, I have increasingly encouraged the voluntary services in the area to help wherever
possible. I am grateful to the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association, the Red Cross Society and
all those other volunteers who make a valuable contribution to the on-going social work inHaringey,
nevertheless volunteers however willing and able, still do not entirely take the place of the fieldworker
and statutory officer, whose volume of work constantly increases.
Our endeavours to provide adequate community care for those in need have been maintained, and
special effort has been directed to the improvement of the facilities associated with the Woodside
Club which has now been rehoused at White Hart Lane, in the old clinic, where patients can
recuperate and rehabilitate in a friendly atmosphere, while spending some time in suitably interesting
and occupational activities. It will be appreciated that this work is a valuable preventive measure
and often obviates hospital admission as well as reducing social stress and isolation.
Social Work
The full range of social work for all classes of mentally disordered persons is given, and the duties
vary from making arrangements for the specialists to assess these people, or to assist in admitting
them to hospital, into residential care, or in the provision of domiciliary visits, or getting them to
join in the activities of the Psychiatric Social Clubs.
As close a contact as possible is kept with the hospitals and other statutory and social agencies
serving the area.
This has been a difficult year in the social work field owing to the general increase in mental
health community care and the fact that there has been a considerable changeover in staff during
this period, at one time the total number of Mental Welfare Officers was reduced to four, however,
at the time of this report the general position looks rather more hopeful, fresh recruits are coming
in, although mostly in¬service trainees, which adds to the burden of the existing staff while they
are being instructed in their new role.
There have been the usual professional visits of observation to the Mental Health Section and the
associated borough services, and among those welcomed have been an Assistant to the Professor
of Psychiatry Istanboul University, Probation, Child Care and other Social Workers, teaching, midwifery
and nursing students. In order to give those in training some experience of the community care
services, our local catchment hospitals both Claybury and Friern now regularly send student nurses
to the section for a short placement.
Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association
I am indebted to Mr. John Wilder of the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association, for the following
report:-
"1969 saw steady consolidation of community care for the mentally ill. The Mental Welfare
Department, the psychiatric hospitals, and the P.Ft. A. have continued to work closely together
developing the rehabilitation facilities in the Borough.
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