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61
Social Club
The social club continued to meet in a room at the Roselands
Clinic during the first half of 1967, and during the summer a number of
outings were arranged. The club started to meet at the new centre in
June, and since then it has expanded substantially and received a fresh
impetus as a result of the acquisition of premises. There have been
two main reasons for this rapid growth. Many who are housebound with
young children can now come, bringing the children with them. The work
to be done and opportunity for a self-help enterprise has brought in
many patients who did not want to attend a purely supportive social
club, but who can make a real contribution, and a number have shown
great benefit from doing so.
To encourage a full contribution by members, club management
and activities are arranged by a committee consisting of members and
day centre staff under the chairmanship of a mental health social worker.
A number of special social occasions have been arranged, including a well
attended Bring and Buy sale. There is a strong need for further evening
activities for the benefit of members who are working, but whose social
life outside working hours is often very restricted. It is intended to
start regular evening meetings very shortly.
MENTAL SUBNORMALITY
At the end of 1967 there were about 435 mentally subnormal
persons known to the department whose home addresses were within the
boundaries of the borough. Of these 203 were reported as receiving
hospital care, and 232 were living in the community. Of the latter
number, 79 were attending the training centre. Visiting is carried out
by mental health social workers in co-operation with health visitors.
43 subnormal children and adults were referred to the mental
health services for the first time during the year. 19 of these were
children, an increasing proportion of whom are becoming known to the
department during the first two years of life, when help can be given
to the parents in the early stages of adjustment and planning for the
future. A further 10 were of adolescents and older teenagers, either
referred for community care on leaving school or experiencing
difficulties in their first years of adult life.
Hospital Care
The borough is within the catchment area of Botleys Park
Hospital, to which application is made for admission of all adult