Review of the Year, 1925-26
- Author:
Evelyn Fox.
The following is a short survey of the recent developments, legislative and administrative, affecting- mental welfare work in general, and including matters especially concerning the Central Association.
Broadly speaking, the year has been one of steady progress. The appoint- ment of the Royal Commission on Lunacy and Mental Disorders testifies to the public interest taken in questions affecting the mental health of the nation, and to the increased sense of responsibility which has been aroused by various cases in connection with the certification and detention of the insane.
We give an account elsewhere in this issue of the evidence given by the Central Association of cases frequently referred to the C.A.M.W., who, though not normal, are not certifiable either under the Mental Deficiency or Lunacy Acts. The year 1925 ends with the hope that in 1926 the Commission may publish their Report, and that they will recommend legislation which will make it possible to secure early treatment without certification for many cases of mental disorder. This would be a real step forward in preventive medicine.
Several circulars have been issued during the year by the two Government Departments chiefly concerned with mental defectives.. When the year began we rejoiced at the issue of Circular 1341, by the Board of Education, reminding Local Authorities that ascertainment, notifica- tion, and supervision were matters of urgency, ” and that nothing less can be regarded even temporarily, as a tolerable compliance with the requirements of the Act.” As the year closes, Circular 1371 has brought consternation to all educational workers, and given rise to the fear lest it may cause restriction rather than encourage extension of supervision and the establishment of Special Schools. Since its issue the President of the Board of Education has conferred with the representatives of the Local Authorities, and there is reason to hope that a compromise is being reached whereby the percentage system will be re- tained for 1926-27 with revised estimates, and that the block grant, to be made for the next three years, 1927-30, will be more in accordance with real educational requirements than the Circular issued indicates. In all these negotiations we hope that there will be alert vigilance on behalf of the mentally defective child.* A Committee of experts in Mental Deficiency and Psychology, together with Officers of the Board of Control and Board of Education (on which the C.A.M.W. is represented by myself) was appointed by the Board of Education in 1924, and has since met regularly.
” This Committee, consisting of experts in mental deficiency and psychology together with officers of the Board of Control and Board of Education, has enlarged the scope of its work and is arranging for a special investigation by an expert investigator working in certain selected areas, with the object of securing more accurate information than is now available as to the incidence and character of mental deficiency both among children of school age and among the general population. It is expected that the investigation will extend over a period of one or two years, and it is hoped that its findings will prove of great value to the Government Departments, Local Education Authorities, Local Authorities under the Mental Deficiency Act 1913 and other bodies concerned, in enabling them to determine the amount and nature of the provision required for education, care and control of defectives.” (See Health of the School Child, 1925, p, 145.)
The investigation is in charge of E, O. Lewis, Esq., D.Sc., L.R.C.P., one of the Inspectors of the Board of Control. Miss S. C. Turner (formerly Secretary of the Staffordshire Voluntary Association) was in December appointed as field- worker.
One day-school (at Nottingham) and two Residential Schools (Sandhill Park, Somerset, and Ellen Terry National Residential Home for Blind Defective chil- dren) have been certified by the Board of Education during the year.
The appointment of a woman Inspector (Miss Landon, formerly Secretary of the Devon Voluntary Association) under the Board of Control towards the end of 1924 was indicative of further general progress under the Mental Deficiency Act. The year 1925 has seen the issue of many circulars by that Board, all directed towards the encouragement of greater activity among Local Authorities.
A series of circulars was issued in the spring, impressing upon Visitors, Managers of Institutions and Local Authorities the need for strict enquiry into home circumstances in all cases of the revision of orders before discharge oi licence.
During the year the Board have definitely announced that they will not sanction new institutions unless planned to accommodate ultimately at least 500 cases, and that only colony schemes will be accepted. This is an important declaration of policy.
*As we go to press, we have before us Administrative Memorandum No. 44. From this it is evident that the Board are determined to secure economy, one might venture to say, at all costs. We know, from past experience, that economies regarding defectives can be enforced with less protest than economies touching any other section of the population, and it is therefore all the more incumbent upon us all to scrutinise carefully any proposals that will be adverse to them.
The Board of Control, during the year, have certified Sandhill Park and the Reigate Blind Defective Home, mentioned above and in addition they have certified St. Theresa’s, 97, Belmont Hill, Lewisham, for 50 feeble-minded females over 16 years, and the Mansion, Kirkburton, near Huddersfield (West Riding Yorkshire County Council) for boys over and under 16.
The Mental Deficiency Amendment Act, sponsored by Sir Leslie Scott, which became law in July, should do much, by facilitating removal from an Institution to Guardianship, to make it easier to discharge from Institutions those persons who, after years of training, would, under Guardianship, be well able to remain in normal surroundings.
The clauses in the Criminal Justice Act which lay down that a Probation Officer shall be appointed for every Petty Sessional Division or combined Petty Sessional Divisions should, by increasing the number of Probation Officers, especially in rural areas, greatly assist in the proper care of certain cases which come before the Courts, both certifiable defectives and those who, though uncerti- fiable, are not normal.
The proceedings of the International Prison Congress held in London in August were especially interesting to mental welfare workers because of the attention paid by delegates from all the countries to the question of the mentality of prisoners. Dr Tredgold and I were invited to submit papers on the question of the mental examination of prisoners. The Congress devoted a Section to the question, and a Resolution was passed in favour of accused and convicted persons being physically and mentally examined by specially qualified practitioners.
The eagerly awaited Report of the Departmental Committee on Sexual Offences against Young Persons has just been published, and we give some account of it in this issue. The Committee had under close consideration the mental condition of offenders, and we hope that some, at least, of its recom- mendations may soon take effect. Miss Clara Martineau, J.P., a member of our Council, was on this Committee, and the C.A.M.W. gave evidence before it.
During the year the Central Association has further enlarged its work.
The appointment of a Guardianship Officer to make systematic search in certain areas for suitable Guardians and to supervise cases placed under them, is encouraging Local Authorities to try to place cases under Guardianship through the Central Office. This wide scheme makes the selection of a suit- able home and district much easier.
Lindsey (Lines.) County Council has decided to use the services of the local Child-Welfare Association, which is to be re-organised to undertake the work of a Voluntary Association, and the Council is sending their Infant Welfare Worker to be trained at the C.A.M.W., so that she may add the care of Mentally Defective persons to her other duties.
The Cumberland and Westmorland Joint Committee for the Mentally De- fective has asked the C.A.M.W. to send an organiser for a preliminary period of six months, to investigate cases, with a view to forming a Local Association for the joint areas.
A Local Association is in process of being formed in Ely..
Considerable progress has been made by some of the Local Associations, notably Kent and Stafford, to carry out for the Local Education Authorities in their areas the supervision of ” educable ” Mentally Defective Children not in Special Schools, as suggested by the Board of Education Circular 1341. The Windsor Education Committee have delegated these duties to the C.A.M.W. In addition to the two usual short courses for teachers and the Medical Practitioners’ Course, the C.A.M.W. made two fresh efforts in 1925, one, a course for Attendants in Institutions and Occupation Centres, and the other a Three Months’ Course for Teachers. Both these Courses have been justified by the welcome given to them.
There has been a very considerable development in the Training- of Attend- ants in Institutions, both in the smaller Institutions under Section 37 of the Act and also in Mental Hospitals, where there are young low-grade mental defectives. Our Occupational Organiser was invited to visit various institutions, etc., for demonstration purposes. She visited during 1925 three Mental Hos- pitals, two Certified Institutions, and three Institutions under Section 37. Her services have also been used at various Women’s Institutes and elsewhere, to explain the possibilities of handwork for defectives.
Four new Occupation Centres have been opened during the year, and various Centres previously open half time are now open all day, greatly to the advan- tage of the children and their parents.
In December a small Conference was held to discuss the training of social workers. It was decided to appoint a Committee to confer with the Joint University Council for Social Studies on the Training of Social Workers in Mental Welfare. We confidently believe that this will have fruitful results.
This year the Council has been deprived by death of three of its members, the Rev. Canon Glossop, Mr. J. B. Johnson, and Mr. A. J. Maddison.
The death of Miss Tozer cannot be passed over without comment. A corre- spondent who knew her well, writes : ” She was one of those women who find their chief pleasures in life in serving others, and she had a genius for friendship, whilst preserving the power of attracting others to her own personality. Previous to finding her life work at the Clapton Girls’ Training Homes she was engaged in many branches of philanthropic endeavour.”
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