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The Children's Officer of the Middlesex County Council is Miss
J. Rowell, of 10 Great George Street, S.W.I (Tel. No. Trafalgar 7799).
In this area the work is carried out by the Area Children's Officer, Miss
Susan Boag, at Kynaston Court.
The Mentally III and the Mentally Defective
The mental health services are integrated with the other health
services established under the National Health Service Act. The duties of
the local health authority include responsibility for the initial care and
conveyance to hospital of patients who need to be dealt with under the
Lunacy and Mental Treatment Acts, and for the ascertainment and
community care of mental defectives. The Health Committee of the
County Council is responsible for the mental health functions of the
Authority.
Harrow is part of the central division of the County which is served
by Shenley Hospital. The Mental Welfare Officer, Mr. W. J. Pedel, and
other officers, work at Balnacraig Avenue, Neasden, N.W.10 (Gladstone
8624). Attached to this office are two psychiatric social workers who
advise and help people suffering from mental illness aggravated by social
conditions. The services of a Mental Welfare Officer needed out of
office hours can be obtained by telephoning County Fire Control
(Wembley 1121) asking for County Control who will arrange for the
message to be passed on to the Mental Welfare Officer who is on call.
A consulting clinic is attended on the mornings of the fourth Wednesday
in each month at the clinic, Elmwood Avenue, Kenton, by Dr.
Bennett or by Dr. Fidler of the Mental Health Section of the Health
Service of the County Council. This is particularly useful for helping
parents who have only just learnt that their baby is mentally abnormal
in some way.
Children who are mentally retarded but are nevertheless educable
are admitted to the Shaftesbury School for the educationally subnormal.
Those more retarded and who are considered ineducable might be helped
by attending the Special Training School at Rayners Lane, at which in
the earlier stages emphasis is placed on habit training in order to teach
the children to become socially adapted.
The Harrow Society for Mentally Handicapped Children which is
affiliated to the National Society, works to promote the better appreciation
and the welfare of all mentally handicapped children in the district.
The Mental Health Act 1959, which repeals the Lunacy and Mental
Treatment Acts 1890-1930 and the Mental Deficiency Acts 1912-1938, is a
substitution for the many Acts concerned with mental disease. It makes
provision with respect to the treatment and care of mentally disordred
persons, and with respect to their property and affairs. It places the
administrative care of patients in the hands of the Ministry of Health
and it provides safeguards for the patient who is compulsorily admitted
to hospital.