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BOARDING-OUT SCHEME
27.5.1 With increasing emphasis on care of mentally disordered persons within the
community, there is growing pressure for patients who can be so supported to be discharged
from psychiatric hospitals. Not all such patients have homes to which they can
go and where they can receive adequate support, and there is a shortage of hostels
which we in Camden are striving to remedy. One way of accommodating patients is
to place them in boarding houses or small establishments which have sympathetic and
understanding landladies. In April, 1968, a boarding-out officer was appointed to implement
such a scheme.
27.5.2 Throughout the first few months, much time was spent in exploring the
bourhood and discovering the type of living accommodation offered through shop window
advertisements and local newspapers. The boarding-out officer was also able to meet
and talk with landladies about the boarding-out scheme and their prejudices towards
mental illness. Attention was drawn to the scheme in Mental Health Week by the display
of posters and by the distribution of leaflets, and some space was given to it in the
local press inviting interested persons to contact the department. Although this was a
useful exercise in making people aware of the scheme, it brought no positive response
from the public.
27.5.3 The original intention had been to build up a pool of local landladies willing
to offer accommodation at the request of the boarding-out officer but as there is such
a demand for accommodation for single persons in Camden, landladies were not willing
to keep rooms vacant, despite the promise of a retaining fee payable by the Council.
Some were, however, prepared to give the boarding-out officer the first choice whenever
a vacancy occurred. It could be assumed that if there was no patient in need at that
moment, then the landlady would let her room and the vacancy would be lost for 2-3
years. Finding not only suitable landladies but vacancies at the time of need is therefore
difficult.
27.5.4 Apart from the landlady, a suitable environment must be considered from the
patient's point of view. Those who have lived for most of their lives in Camden Town
could not really adjust themselves to Swiss Cottage or Hampstead. Most of the mental
health centres and clubs are situated in the eastern part of the borough, and their
neighbouring areas are Kentish Town, Gospel Oak, Camden Town and Somers Town.
Owing to redevelopment programmes in these areas, many houses previously in multiple
occupation are being replaced by blocks of flats, and hence there is an increasing
shortage of small lodging establishments. On the other hand, in Hampstead, where there
is a large bed-sitter pocket, landladies tend to be discriminating on social grounds,
and many prefer to obtain tenants through professional agencies.
27.5.5 When a patient is accepted for inclusion in this scheme, the boarding-out
officer has to begin his search for suitable landladies and, depending on the vacancies
at the time, this could take up to 8 weeks before the right accommodation is found.
Most patients referred are already living in the community but are experiencing problems
with their present accommodation (the most common being loneliness) which makes
referral appropriate. However, it has been found that the majority have benefited from
advice and support - in some cases financial - given by the boarding-out officer and
have not needed to be placed with a selected landlady.
27.5.6 In the course of his work, the boarding-out officer is acquiring a useful store
of knowledge of the different social and racial communities within the Borough.
27.5.7 14 men and 16 women have been referred for consideration under the boarding-
out scheme, 22 by mental health social workers, 4 by hospitals and 2 by hostels. 2 were
self-referred. Of those referred by mental health social workers, 4 were initially boarded
out, 11 received support and advice only, 2 were found suitable for Venture House and 5
were still under review at 31st December 1968. Of the remainder, 4 were not suitable
and 4 received support and advice only.
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