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MENTAL HEALTH & SOCIAL WORK
SERVICES
Introductory
The daily supervision of these services is delegated to a Senior
Medical Officer, who is assisted in the mental health aspects by a
Prinicipal Mental Welfare Officer, and in the other social work aspects
by a Senior Social Worker.
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
General
The work of the Mental Health Section continues to increase
each year as shown in previous Annual Reports, and this is primarily
due to the fact that the community services provided are better known,
and accepted more freely.
1969 has been a year of considerable progress in some respects.
The South West Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board has begun
to replan the psychiatric services which affect this Borough and the
first stage has been an arrangement whereby West Park Hospital and
Springfield Hospital accept joint responsibility for that part of the
London Borough of Merton which formerly comprised the Borough of
Mitcham, and that an acute unit opened on 1st July, 1969, at Springfield
Hospital, accepting all acute cases, both informally and under
legal powers for the greater part of the patients requiring treatment
from the Mitcham area.
Staff
As at 31st December, 1969, the staff position was: —
1 Principal Mental Welfare Officer.
1 Deputy Principal Mental Welfare Officer.
5 Mental Welfare Officers.
1 Mental Health Social Worker.
1 Part-time Mental Health Social Worker.
Dr. D. M. O. Lowry, who was appointed as Senior Medical
Officer of Health with special responsibilities to the Mental Health
Services, resigned in October, 1969, to take up an appointment with
the Greater London Council.
In March, 1969, Mrs. H. Yates resigned her post as Mental
Welfare Officer to take up a similar post in another London Borough.
Training of Staff
The Mental Health Section continues to accept students from
neighbouring colleges to work under supervision of qualified staff as
part of their training, and in 1969 one student each from Bedford
College and Bromley College of Technology were placed for periods
of up to two months. There were also shorter placements from time
to time.
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