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The supervision of mentally ill persons within the community is
carried out by Mental Welfare Officers and Social Workers and covers
a very wide range of activities, including assisting patients with their
material problems, or supporting them through bouts of depression or
periods of more serious illness where admission to hospital is being
avoided. Some of these are chronic cases and could not otherwise
survive in the community. It is in this sphere that the Mental Welfare
Officer often has the care of the elderly people and the chronically ill.
In all activities associated with community care a close liaison is
maintained with the General Practitioner and with hospital staff
wherever possible.
Guardianship
There are no cases under guardianship in the Borough.
Cases Boarded out
The Authority, at the end of the year, was making financial
provision for the boarding-out of 19 patients. A particularly close
liaison is maintained with the two Cheshire Foundation Homes in the
district, and in addition to giving supervision to the Merton cases in
residence there, the Authority has, when requested to do so, undertaken
supervision of patients from other Authorities accommodated
there.
SHORT-TERM CARE
During the year, the Authority provided periods of short-term
care in 24 cases, compared with 15 cases in 1966. This is an illustration
of the increased demand made for the facilities when their
availability is known to those families in need.
SOCIAL WORK SECTION
Staff
At the end of the year the staff position was:—
1 Senior Social Worker.
1 Whole-time Social Worker.
3 Part-time Social Workers.
1 Part-time Social Worker (joint appointment with St. Helier
Hospital Management Committee).
One part-time Social Worker resigned in August and one wholetime
worker then took on the duties of part-time work. In addition
a whole-time Social Worker was appointed in September bringing the
staff to its full complement.
General
The work of this section, which includes social work assistance at
the Chest Clinics at Cumberland Hospital, is varied and interesting.
During the year the work of the section increased considerably
and there were referrals from Medical Social Workers, General Practitioners
and other departments of the Borough. Some work was
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