View report page

65
If, after full investigation, it is considered that the child would benefit from treatment, and the parents
are fully agreeable and co-operative about this, then the child attends usually for an hour a week to see a
psychotherapist or, in some cases, another team member. It will be seen from Table I that 146 children attended
for weekly treatment.
Type of Referral.
The School Psychological Service is heavily pressed with referrals from the schools. Referrals from
the schools are often not seen until some months have elapsed because of shortage of staff.
Many of these referrals are children who have arrived in this country fairly recently, and who present
severe learning problems and behaviour problems. With children from a different cultural background it is
extremely difficult to assess potential ability, as they tend to do poorly on our ability tests. However, from
all practical purposes, if a Secondary School child is illiterate, he needs special attention which cannot often be
given in an ordinary school. Hence, the Woodfield Special School, and the Remedial Reading Classes have a
high proportion of immigrant children.
Of the Child Guidance referrals, just over half are from medical sources and these are evenly divided
between local authority and other medical agencies, as can be seen from Table 2.
It is perhaps not always widely enough realised by referral agencies that, because it is felt that a child
"should see a psychiatrist" or "needs treatment" that help cannot be given unless the parents themselves realise
this and want help. It is discouraging, and wasteful of valuable time, to offer appointments to parent and
child which are not kept because basically the parent does not want help.
Staff.
The increased establishment of a further Educational Psychologist, as agreed from September, 1965,
would help the School Psychological Service enormously. Unfortunately, a suitably qualified candidate has
not come forward, and we still have this vacancy.
Five sessions of psychotherapist time is still unfilled due to lack of suitable applicants. A half-time
P.S.W. post has also remained unfilled since Mrs. Hicklin left in early October.
Dr. Graf, Consultant Psychiatrist at Kilburn, and Dr. Friedman, Consultant Psychiatrist at Kingsbury,
both feel that the appointment of a whole-time Psychiatric Registrar or Senior Registrar to be shared
by the two Centres is necessary due to pressure of psychiatric referrals. So much time is spent on seeing new
referrals that little time is left for preventive work in the community. This appointment could be made by
the Regional Hospital Board at the request of the Local Education Authority.
Premises.
The Kingsbury Child Guidance Centre, although new and purpose-built, has insufficient rooms for
the work undertaken. One room from the Maternity and Child Welfare Clinic on the ground floor has been
transferred to Child Guidance use, but still more room is necessary. The possibility of additional building on
the site is being investigated by the Borough Architect.
The Kilburn Child Guidance Centre has been decorated internally during the year.
Residential Placement.
During the year 35 children were ascertained as maladjusted and recommendations were made that
they be placed in residential schools. This is advised only when placement away from home and the day school
is necessary. It is disconcerting, however, to find that at the end of the year there were 20 still on the waiting
list for placement, and a quarter of these had waited longer than three months. Many of these children present
real difficulties to the day school, and urgent placement is usually necessary.
Unattached Classes.
The Day Maladjusted Unit which is planned for the old Willesden Education Office in Willesden
Lane is an urgent need, and it is hoped that this will open in September, 1966.
The Language Class at Mora Junior School was increased from half-time to full-time in September
1965. It deals with two groups each of a dozen children who attend for a half-day every day. At the end
of the year there were 42 children who were on the waiting list for the Language Class. It will take a very long
time indeed for these to be admitted. There is need for a further Language Class.
Contact with other Agencies.
There is close co-operation with the Health Department. School Medical Officers attend a monthly
conference at Kilburn, and Mental Health Officers attend regular conferences at Kingsbury.
We are called upon to address groups, such as Parent-Teacher Associations, and various social groups
in the Borough. We are always ready to do this.
We take a large part in the training of professional workers. Psychologists, psychotherapists and
social workers spend continuous periods doing practical work at the Centres as part of their training and we
have many visits from students.
Conclusions.
More accommodation in the Kingsbury Child Guidance Centre, the appointment of a full-time
medical registrar, and the establishment of a further language class would assist the service considerably.
We are grateful to both Mr. Wyeth and the Education Office staff, and Dr. Grundy and the School
Health Service staff for co-operation and help in what is a hard pressed service.