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54
There was only one patient awaiting a vacancy for psychiatric hospital
care at the end of the year.
Temporary Care.—One way in which parents can be given a measure
of relief (especially in those cases awaiting a permanent hospital bed) is
to arrange for short-term care for periods of up to eight weeks. During
1965, 16 patients were cared-for in this way. Of these, 14 were placed in
Regional Hospital Board Hospitals, and two in private homes.
Residential Hostels for the Subnormal.—At the end of the year
this Authority had one patient placed in the London Borough of Brent's
hostel for subnormal working boys at 191 Willesden Lane, N.W.2.
Moorcroft Weekly Boarding Unit.—This establishment is run by
the London Borough of Hillingdon and caters for 19 children of both
sexes and between the ages of 4 to 12 years. It is housed in the same
building as the Hillingdon Junior Training School and the "Moorcroft"
Adult Training Centre. The children reside at the Unit from Monday
morning until Friday afternoon and return home at weekends and for the
school holidays. During the week they attend the Hillingdon Junior
Training School or Special Care Unit.
At the end of the year there was one boy from Harrow placed at this
unit and one other boy awaiting admission.
Social Club.—In July 1965, the Council approved the formation of a
social club for subnormal patients of 14 years of age and upwards and
granted £40 towards the cost of equipment.
The first meeting of the club was held on 4th October 1965, and meets
every Monday evening in the Games Hut at the rear of Tanglewood
Hostel, from 7.0 to 9.0 p.m.
Club leadership is provided by the mental health staff.
Sitters-in-Service.—In March 1963, the former Middlesex County
Council approved of a scheme for the provision of "Sitters-in" which
provided the parents of mentally handicapped children with a measure
of relief and enabled them to perhaps go shopping, go out for an evening,
to visit the hairdressers, etc.
The service was run by the Middlesex Society for Mentally Handicapped
Children through its local societies. The payment for the service
was 3/6d. per hour, according to the ability of the parents to meet the
cost, the balance being paid by the Middlesex County Council.
On the re-organisation of London's Local Government, a request
was received by this Authority from the Harrow Society for Mentally
Handicapped Children for this service to be continued on the same terms,
when one of their voluntary sitters-in was not available and approval was
accordingly given to this arrangement in June 1965.