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Convalescence
During the year 37 children were sent away for short stay
convalescent holidays.
Child Guidance Service
Dr. J. Vincenzi, Consultant Psychiatrist, has submitted the
following report on the work of the Romford Child Guidance Clinic
during the year:—
Out of a total of 299 referrals to the Clinic, 140 were from Romford.
Previous year's figures were 245 referrals in 1959, 256 in
1960 and 246 in 1961, so last year saw the largest number of referrals
since the Clinic opened.
There were 460 psychiatric sessions during the year and 1,785
treatment interviews. There were also 202 diagnostic interviews
given by the psychiatrists. The waiting list is now 75 and represents
a wait of four to five months. An attempt will be made during the
early part of 1963 to reduce this waiting time.
The appointment of Mrs. J. Barber, a full-time Social Worker,
was made to fill a vacancy which had existed since the opening of
the Clinic, and two additional sessions were established for the
Consultant to cover Hornchurch cases coming to Romford.
A follow-up of all cases seen here during 1959 was started in
June 1962, in an attempt to assess how effective the Child Guidance
Clinic was in its present framework, and how far parents and other
referring bodies found it useful. This has not yet been completed,
but the resuts so far are encouraging. It is obviously difficult to
assess any improvement of such a subjective condition as emotional
disturbance The sample of cases from Romford was too small to
allow for a very detailed analysis, but more significant figures may
be obtained from the sample, when the second, larger part of the
follow-up, Dagenham and other areas, has been completed. I shall
be pleased to provide you with opportunities of perusing the whole
follow-up report when this becomes available.
There is still a marked difficulty in placing seriously disturbed
adolescents. The Unit of Whipps Cross Hospital is really only suitable
for psychosomatic illness and minor cases of emotional
disturbance.
The Parklands Nursery has continued to be of great help, but it
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