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Supervision. At the end of the year 316 mental defectives (165 males and 151 females)
were under statutory supervision, 5 under friendly supervision and 9 on licence from
institutions.
These cases were visited by the Duly Authorised Officers at approximately quarterly
intervals or, of course, more frequently if need be. In addition, informal contacts were
maintained with other cases who it was felt might be In need of friendly help or guidance
from time to time. They included individuals on the borderline of mental deficiency, barely
able to hold their own alone, defectives discharged from statutory Orders, and others.
The majority of the defectives under statutory supervision are in fairly regular
employment and self-supporting. Those defectives considered capable of working but finding
difficulty in obtaining employment of a suitable nature are referred to the Disablement
Resettlement Officer and consultation takes place to decide the most suitable occupational
plaoing.
One-thousand-nine-himdred'-andminety-six visits were made in connection with the
Mental Deficiency Acts during the year, for the following reasons;-
Cases under Statutory Supervision 1,4.63
Cases on licence from institutions 80
Reports for licence, holidays, etc., from the institutions 39
Reports for Statutory Visitors 85
Other visits 329
Guardianship. There were three defectives under guardianship at the end of the year.
They were all females aged 60, 47 and 19 years respectively and have been with their present
guardians for 19, 17 and years, two being in convents as domestic workers and one in a
private household. As all the places of guardianship are outside the Borough, the cases were
supervised in the usual manner by the Local Health Authority of the area in which they reside
and were, in addition, visited at six-monthly intervals by a member of the Health Committee
and the Deputy Medical Officer of Health.
One other case formerly under guardianship was transferred to an institution during
the year owing to the death of the guardian. A male, aged 52, he had been very happily
placed and exceptionally well cared for, and the failure to find another suitable guardian
must have appeared as something of a tragedy for him, upsetting the whole apparently settled
basis of his life.
Temporary Accommodation for Defectives. During the year, arrangements were made for
seven defectives to receive temporary care. Six were males aged 51. 39, 39, 8 and 2 years
respectively, and one a female aged 26 years. All were accommodated at South Ockendon
Institution by the kind co-operation of the Physician Superintendent.
Institutional Accommodation. Thirteen defectives were admitted to institutions during
the year. With the exception of a blind defective boy aged 9 years, who was accepted by the
Ellen Terry Home for Blind Trainable Defectives at Reigate, all these cases were admitted to
South Ockendon Institution. The age and sex incidence was:-
Male Female
Children 0 - 5 3 -
Children 5 -15 2 1
Adults 6 -
76