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(b) Lay Administration,
(i) A senior Duly Authorised Officer (supervisory) and three male Duly Authorised
Officers, all of whom are experienced in mental welfare, carry out various duties under the
Mental Deficiency, Lunacy and Mental Treatment Acts.
(ii) A full-time Psychiatric Social Worker (appointed September,. 1950) whose main
duties are in connection with pre-care and after-care work for mental patients*
(iii) Supervisor and Assistant Supervisor of Occupation Centre,,
Clerical assistance for this service is provided, as and when required, from the
Health Department Staff.
CO-ORDINATION AND JOINT USE OF OFFICERS,
The friendly relationship with the Regional Hospital Board, the Hospital Management
Committees and their officers has been maintained. The Physician Superintendent of
Goodmayes Hospital, and his staff, are available for consultation and advice if required
under the Lunacy and Mental Treatment Acts, as also Is the Physician Superintendent of
South Ockendon Institution under the Mental Deficiency Acts*
The Councils Duly Authorised Officers have continued to supervise mental defectives
on licence and to visit and report on home circumstances of defectives in institutions who
may be considered suitable for licence, discharge, etc.
The Psychiatric Social Workers employed by the Council and at Goodmayes Hospital
also work in very close co-operation.
VOLUNTARY ASSOCIATIONS.
The Council does not delegate any duties to voluntary Associations*
TRAINING OF MENTAL HEALTH WORKERS.
Even the most experienced of officers can bring fresh points of view to bear on
their work by keeping in touch with their colleagues working in closely related fields, and
the arrangements which have proved so successful in the past whereby the Duly Authorised
Officers have attended occasionally at Goodmayes Mental Hospital and other institutions for
talks and discussions on their work have been continued. They have proved of the greatest
value to all who participated*
PREVENTION, CARE AND AFTER-CARE<
Report on the work of the Psychiatric Social Worker
from 1st January to 31st December, I95O*
The work was carried on by the P.S.W, part-time on loan from the National Association
for Mental Health until September l8th when the Council were successful in obtaining
the services of a full-time PcS.W.
The social care of people with psychological problems began with six cases transferred
by the National Association for Mental Health from their after-care scheme to West
Ham. At 31st December, 1949, 52 cases altogether had been referred from Goodmayes Hospital
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