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35
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
On April 1st 1965, the new Borough inherited from the former London
County Council the local authority mental health services. We were indeed
fortunate in that we inherited good services from the L. C. C. I understand
that under the L.C.C. there had been some division of responsibility for the
various aspects of the services. However, as from the 1st April, the mental
health services which previously had been divorced from the main divisional
office were brought under the same roof as the main Health Department; this
had the enormous advantage of much closer liaison between mental health social
workers and officers in other branches of the health service, e.g., medical
officers, health visitors, school nurses, public health inspectors, etc.
The L.C.C. had maintained centrally an emergency coverage for mental health
service out of office hours, and in order to give a service that was not
diminished in any way, an arrangement was entered into with the London Borough
of Islington to maintain a similar rota, based for the first year on the John
Scott Health Centre.
The mental health social workers not only undertake the statutory duties,
but also act as supportive workers both for mentally subnormal persons and
their families, and for mentally ill persons discharged from hospital and
their families. Apart from this aspect of personal service the Borough also
inherited three day centres for persons who had been mentally ill and returned
to the community, but who needed at least a period of sheltered work before
re-entering the "hurly burly" of industrial life. The three centres were at -
Clifton Lodge, 96 Dalston Lane, E.8.
Hindle House, Arcola Street, E.8.
Shoreditch Health Centre, 210 Kingsland Road, E.2.
Work at these centres is comparatively simple, but provides useful daytime occupation
for the patients. During the year twelve patients from the Clifton Lodge
Centre found employment which to date they have retained. In conjunction
with these day centres social clubs are held at various locations on week-nights
and are well attended. One particularly interesting feature of these social
clubs is that they attract many 'normal' teenagers - this is a great help in
reorientating persons whohave been mentally ill, to a normal world outside hospital
Some of the premises, however, will need to be either altered or replaced
in the future.
In addition to day centres for the mentally ill there are also centres in
the Borough for mentally subnormal adults and children. There is a large
purpose built centre, Hackney (Junior) Training Centre, in pleasant surroundings,
for children up to 16 years in the centre of the Borough. At the time it was
taken over from the L.C.C. it was shared with the new Boroughs of Tower Hamlets,
Islington and Camden, but at the end of the year it was already apparent that
Camden and Islington would be making other provision for their children. In
addition to the Hackney Centre, there is a similar centre in Shoreditch which
also caters for mentally subnormal children up to the age of 16 years, and it
also is shared with other London boroughs. Children are brought to these
Centres in coaches, cared for during the day and taught certain elementary
skills and social training. Proposals are afoot to make certain amendments
in these Centres when the children are withdrawn by the other boroughs. On
1st April there was also a centre for training older boys and men, but during
the year it was possible to open in Council premises at Wigan House a further
Centre for older boys and men who were on the waiting list. Neither centre
is ideal for the purpose, and at the time of the preparation of this report a
completely new and purpose-built building is in the process of erection.
Women and elder girls are not catered for in the Borough, but arrangements
are in force whereby they attend a training centre in the neighbouring borough
of Tower Hamlets.