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Cuardianship.
At present there are four cases in the care of Guardians under
Order, all of them females. Three are under the Guardianship
of Relatives and the other placed in the care of the
Guardianship Society of Brighton. Two of these girls unfortunately
have recently become unsuitable to remain under guardianship,
one having developed a very bad temper and spiteful
characteristics, and the other a tendency to petty stealing, and
arrangements are being made to secure institutional accommodation
for them. The other two girls are quite well-behaved and
well-cared for.
In addition to these cases there are two females and one male
on licence from institutions in the care of guardians. Tnese three
defectives were recommended by the Visitors to the Institutions
for a long leave of absence to test their capabilities to live outside
an institution, and as neither of the defectives had any suitable
relative to whose care they could proceed it was necessary for
guardians to be found. These were obtained with the assistance
of the Central Association for Mental Welfare. This Association
has a scheme whereby defectives are placed in the care of suitable
persons, and cases so placed are kept under supervision, for
which service a fee is charged. In respect of these cases, nothing
is paid in the case of one of the girls, and £1 per week in the
cases of the others is payable to the guardians. All endeavours
are made by the guardians to obtain employment for the defective,
and in the event of a situation being obtained, the earnings, less
a deduction for pocket-money, are paid to the I.ocal Authority
responsible for the case. I may add that this scheme is worked
with the full approval of the Board of Control.
As will be readilv understood, the choosing of persons to act
as guardians to mental defectives needs the exercise of the greatest
care.
Occupation Centres.
The training of defectives outside institutions is a statutory
duty imposed upon Local Authorities by the Mental Deficiency
Act, 1927, and a number of Occupation and Training Centres
have been set up in various districts. Although these centres are
still more or less in the experimental stage, the Board of Control
report that a certain measure of success has been achieved and
their function as supplying training for defectives must be recognised.
It is well known that it is much better for mental defectives
to be fully employed and that proper occupation and training is
the basis of institutional treatment. The training and employment
provided by these Centres therefore should have a beneficial
cffect upon defectives under supervision, and by improving their
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