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Mental Health Service.
The Occupation Centre for Mentally Defective Children and Adult
Female Patients, was opened on 8th September, 1953, at the Methodist
Church Hall, Bennett's Castle Lane, Becontree. It is known as the Ilford
Junior Occupation Centre.
Full medical inspection is carried out once a year, by one of the School
Medical Officers, also a survey visit is made quarterly.
Child Guidance Clinic.—The Child Guidance Clinic was opened on
3rd January, 1949, at Loxford Hall, Loxford Lane, Ilford.
Dr. H. M. S. Davidson, the Consultant Psychiatrist, reports as follows:—
"The work of the Clinic has continued with little change throughout
1955. Our most pressing problem is the length of our Waiting
List, which is increasing, with a corresponding delay in seeing children
after referral. We are still having a greater number referred to us
than we can see during each year, and it does not seem that one
Clinic alone can supply the needs of the large area which we serve.
Of the 189 cases referred last year 50 were considered urgent,
and in addition we were asked to see and report on 23 cases for the
Juvenile Courts. These latter have to be seen without delay and
usually involve a greater number of interviews and expenditure of
time than other cases, but we welcome this use of our facilities as an
important part of community work though it does contribute to the
delay in our routine casework.
It has been our policy to give such treatment to every child that
we can obtain a sufficiently good adjustment to maintain mental health
in face of the ordinary difficulties of life with which they will have
to deal. In practice this means that most children who are taken on
for "treatment" receive weekly psycho-therapy, while their Mothers
have weekly interviews to help them in their understanding and
handling of the child. In some children the problems are such that
less frequent attendances are needed, and we are always looking for
methods whereby we can shorten the time of treatment without
endangering the success of our work. When the child's problem is
mainly one of social adjustment we can sometimes treat them in
groups of 5—7 children, and we hope to begin some new groups in
the coming year, and as we now have our annexe converted for use
as a treatment room we have a suitable room where groups can meet.
We are also planning discussion groups for Mothers at the same time.
Much of the work of our Psychologists is carried out in the
schools where problems are discussed and the progress of the children
concerned is watched. The co-operation of Head Teachers has been
most valuable and many difficulties have been resolved without having
to refer the child to the Clinic.
We have welcomed every opportunity to meet and discuss mutual
problems with other workers in allied fields, but pressure of work has
prevented us from doing as much as we would have liked. The
monthly conferences with the Barking School Medical Officers and
Health Visitors have continued, and Health Visitors from other areas
and Probation Officers have attended conferences on cases in which
they were interested. A Psychiatric Social Worker Student came to us
for two months in the Summer, and Health Visitor Students spent
a day in the Clinic during their training course. Members of our staff
have given talks on remedial teaching to teachers, and on child
guidance work to the Townswomen's Guild.
Changes of staff have again curtailed our work to some extent
during this last year. The sudden death of Miss Harries last Spring
was a great loss to the Clinic, but happily Mrs. Benjamin came to
our rescue temporarily, but was unable to remain with us permanently
for family reasons, and we are again one Therapist short. Miss