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duty by all responsible employers. It is also
good eccnomics. for the physically and
mentally healthy worker will usually be a
more effective and happier person
Mental Health
There has been continued progress in the
development of a comprehensive community
care service for both psychiatrically ill and
subnormal patients. New establishments
have been opened and those in operation
have been improved The limited number of
mental health social workers has entailed a
selectivity of effort and it is not always easy
to choose the correct priorities when inevitably
some of the work considered desirable must
be left undone
Subnormality
The number of subnormals and severely subnormals
living in the borough at the end of the
year was 400 an increase of 30 The number
of new cases referred was 67 including 41
children under 16 years of age.
During 1969 only 5 were admitted to
hospital for an indefinite period as compared
with 13 in 1968 This reduction is believed
to be due at least in part to the opening of
the Weekly Boarding Unit and also to the
good facilities existing in the community that
enable the families to keep their handicapped
children at home This policy does place
considerable strain on the families concerned
and unless it can be combined with full
medical and social work support the stresses
may become too great
Regular counselling clinics were continued
and a consultant psychiatrist from the catchment
hospital held three such clinics Children
are examined regularly at the junior training
schools and parents are invited to attend so
that they may present any problems which
provide a further opportunity for parent
counselling
Hanworth Junior Training School
The standard of teaching and care throughout
this school continues to be high but can be
improved when the teacher/pupil ratio is
eventually brought in line with the Scott
Committee report The excellent and
enthusiastic leadership given by Mrs Williams
is undoubtedly largely responsible for this
and when she retires next year she will be
greatly missed. Efforts ha/e continued to
educate the newer parents of subnormal
children in the best methods of caring for and
training their children by organising pa-ent
sit in' sessions at the nursery classes
An outbreak of sonne dysentery during the
summer term disrupted the school but was
controlled by the efficient and close cooperation
of the public health inspector
Hanworth Weekly Boarding Unit
This establishment which boa'ds children
from Monday to Friday is best considered as
a residential extension of the school Children
are admitted to the unit because of various
factors amongst which are inability to reach
their full potential at school, to relieve family
stress whilst retaining the essential ties with
the community and family Owing to the demand
for places the number has been increased from
twelve to fourteen, but as there are few similar
units requests from other authorities for places
are not fully met Difficulties exist in obtaining
suitably experienced staff at existing salary
levels
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