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99
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE
(by C.H.A. Wedeles, L.R.C.P., M.R.C.S., D.P.M.(Lond.)
Principal Medical Officer).
The growth of this Section during the year has been hampered
by a variety of factors. Apart from the freeze and its inevitable
consequences for expansion of staff and building, we lost the
services of Dr. S.F. Meyer, our P.M.O., due to her departure to
the U.S.A., regretted by all. We wish her well.
I took over the post in October and hope that my psychoanalytic
training and interest in the meeting-points of Social Work,
Medicine and Education will enable me to make a useful contribution
to the department.
Recruitment of
Staff
Next, it has proved difficult to recruit suitably trained and
experienced social workers, no doubt mainly due to the national
shortage and the intense competition between Local Authorities.
Integration of
Mental Health
Social Work
Department
with Hospitals
However, the structure we have of a Combined Department
serving both the Borough and the Psychiatric and General
Hospitals should help, by and by, to attract people predominantly
interested in Community services and schemes. All
posts are to be re-designated as 'Mental Health Social Worker'not
a particularly elegant appellation, but intended to indicate
our intention to do away with unhelpful barriers of either status
or function. We consider that all members of staff should have
the widest possible experience of all tasks coming within the
scope of the service, though specialisation according to talent
and inclination will be desirable and fostered.
Staff
Mr. T. A. Hawley, A.A.P.S.W., was appointed in August to
post of Chief Mental Health Social Worker, to be in charge of
the Combined Social Work Department. Mrs. E. J. Thompson,
who as 'Trainee P.S.W' had been seconded to the Mental
Health Course at the L.S.E., rejoined us in September on the
successful completion of her studies. Mr. H. G.Bartlett, M.W.O.
attended the 5-month' course in Social Studies at the L.S.E.
and obtained his diploma. In July, Mr. A. E. Kent joined our
staff as an additional Mental Welfare Officer.
Staff Training
Policy
Our policy will be to recruit trained, partly trained and untrained
staff of suitable personality, and to second at all
levels of training, in so far as this is compatible with maintaining
reasonable services. For this purpose trainee posts
should ideally be supernumerary to existing posts; this should,
of course, include Training Centre Staff.