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Dr. Somerville's report which follows, and steps were being
taken towards the end of the year to overcome the staff
difficulties.
REPORT OF THE MEDICAL DIRECTOR ON
THE WORK OF THE WEST HAM CHILD GUIDANCE
CLINIC
By GEO. SOMERV1LLE, M.D., D.P.M.
GENERAL. The Clinic, during the year 1947, has continued
to increase its activities. The staff has been stable, and
this has advantageously reflected itself upon the quantity and
quality of the work. The case-load has increased, and it is
noticeable that referrals from the School Medical Department
and schools have risen from 42 in 1946 to 79 in 1947. Similarly,
the cases referred from probation officers have risen from 10
to 15.
There is evidence that the schools are becoming more alive
to the possibilities of child-guidance work. Visits by the
educational psychologist and the psychiatric social worker to
the schools have had a valuable effect in stimulating interest in
the Clinic activities. It is hoped that, with the further development
of the Clinic, this association of Clinic and school will
become a real working partnership. The appointment of a fulltime
educational psychologist will greatly help to this end.
The Clinic was favoured by a visit from the Chairman of
the Children's Court, and ways and means were discussed to
effect a close co-operation with the court in the treatment of
delinquent children. The staff of the Clinic were privileged to
attend a session of the Children's Court. This proved a most
interesting and instructive visit.
At the request of the Chief Education Officer the Medical
Director gave a lecture on Child Psychiatry to a group of
student teachers. To encourage enlightened interest in the
psychiatric study of the maladjusted child in all those who are
devoted to the care and training of children is an important
aspect of the work of a Child-Guidance Clinic. Without their
full co-operation the success of child guidance is imperilled. It
is hoped, therefore, that in the near future it will be possible,
by lecture and demonstration, to foster a true understanding
of the activities of the Child-Guidance Clinic in the minds of all
workers in the child-health field.
From the statistics it will be noted that there is a considerable
waiting list. The present organisation of the Clinic
makes this inevitable. It is anticipated that in 1948 this waiting
list will be considerably reduced, but the need to reorganise the
staffing is fairly urgent, especially in view of the fact that the
National Health Act comes into operation in July. It is essential,
if the work of the Clinic is to expand, that the Medical Director
should be in a position to give the Clinic more than an average
of three sessions per fortnight, as at present.
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