View report page

Mental Sub-normality
Health visitors have continued to help and counsel parents of children under 16 years of age,
and, where necessary, have called for additional help from the social services department. The aim
has been to provide co-ordinated help by team work but liaison between differing disciplines has
naturally proved quite difficult in the early stages. Role definition was often puzzling in its early
interpretation. Regular meetings with staff from Leavesden Hospital have proved useful on both
sides, and the appointment of Dr. C. Finn and Dr. Grace Woods for domiciliary and local consultations
have been most helpful when difficult problems have arisen. This combination of local
and consultant opinion has been invaluable when advice has been sought by the social services
department.
Future Developments
A Command Paper issued during the year outlined the better services for the mentally handicapped
proposed by Central Government and confirmed that the imaginative proposals already
adopted by the Council were entirely in accordance with national policies. The emphasis upon
community care for the mentally handicapped demands a close partnership between the hospital
services which currently assume responsibility for many of these patients, the social services
department which will now be responsible for the residential accommodation provided and the
community physician and his staff. The development of the hospital psychiatric facilities in the
area underlines the need for a similar development in the community services, and it is to be hoped
that the 5-year programme to which the social services committee agreed during the year will
be successfully implemented. The Command Paper stresses the need for hospital authorities and
local authorities to agree a date beyond which further residential provision will be the primary
responsibility of the social services department, and this unusual provision underlines the need
for an energetic building programme if parents and relatives are to be spared the intolerable burdens
that some of the more severely mentally handicapped sometimes present.
Drug Abuse
A Drugs Advisory Panel composed of professional workers from various council departments
and other medical and social agencies in the area was convened to review the changing patterns
of drug abuse in the area at six monthly intervals. The panel met on two occasions and concluded
that whilst the Borough is certainly not exempt from what appears to be a national trend, there is
no evidence of a specific local problem demanding urgent attention. Attention was drawn to the
problem of alcohol abuse, particularly amongst young people in the age group 15 to 20 years.
These observations were disquieting since the abuse of alcohol at these younger ages seems to
be associated with a much shorter period in the development of alcoholic addiction amongst
those patients who prove ultimately to be susceptible. Alcohol is a drug of addiction, and it is
important to recognise the importance of reviewing abuse of all addictive drugs and not to consider
particular drugs in isolation.
In January 1971 a study day was organised by the Director of Health Services to help teachers
and social workers to recognise drug abuse within the community, and among school children.
Eminent speakers discussed the prevalence of drug addiction. The large audience was finally
given a display by police dogs trained to detect cannabis in suspected premises.
Following upon this many teachers expressed a wish to learn more of the nature of drug
abuse and to recognise the evidence of drug taking in young people. Two further talks were
arranged with officers from the Metropolitan Police to groups of teachers at Swakeleys School.
Although the audiences were small the response was enthusiastic and facilitated the group
discussion which is so essential to a full understanding of this problem.
RECUPERATIVE HOLIDAYS
With a view to preventing illness or to aid recovery from recent illness, recuperative holidays
were arranged for 29 adults and 8 children during 1971. In fifteen other cases, patients were unable
to receive recuperative holidays either because of deterioration in their physical condition or
difficulties experienced in finding accommodation suitable to their requirements.
48