The C.A.M.W. Guardianship Scheme
- Author:
Lucy E. Beach, M.A.,
Guardianship Officer, C.A.M.W.
The Report of the Board of Control for the year 1922 points out that at the close of that year there were only 370 cases under Guardianship, and in the last Report of the Board it is stated that ” the total number of cases under guardianship for whom Local Authorities were responsible on 1st January, 1931, was 1,832, an increase of 306 cases during the year, as compared with an increase of 188 cases during the year 1929.” On the same date there were 1,327 defectives on licence from Institutions.
The development, therefore, of this form of care during the intervening years has been steady, and is progressing, partly owing to the continued delay in the provision of institutional accommodation, and more particularly owing to its proved value. The Guardianship Society founded by Miss Woodhead was the pioneer in this field. The C.A.M.W. scheme was inaugurated in 1924, under a Special Guardianship Committee, of which Lady Darwin is Chairman.
Recently the Voluntary Associations of Kent and Devon have established County Schemes, and a certain amount of work in this direction is done locally by some of the older Authorities. Many Authorities throughout England and Wales have been content to use the centralised scheme set up by the C.A.M.W., which was started to meet the need for further facilities for placing cases under an organised plan of supervision. None of the cases supervised by the C.A.M.W. are in their own homes, but Guardianship with parents or relatives is used fairly freely by several Local Authorities.
Good work can and is being done through centralised schemes, but the ideal before all those interested in the provision of just that particular environ- ment suitable to each individual defective, should surely be that in every area placing cases under guardianship or on licence from institutions should be included as part of the local scheme for the care of defectives.
Voluntary supervision, statutory supervision, guardianship, licence, daily employment from hostels, institutional care?not one of these various forms of care should be neglected, but all, as far as possible, should be dovetailed into a coherent scheme, so that as each case comes up varied solutions can be considered.
Until such time has arrived, the C.A.M.W. helps to fill a real need, and it will no doubt always be of use, in certain cases, especially when it is thought desirable to remove a defective a long distance from present surroundings. Local Guardianship Schemes would obviate a great deal of correspondence, accounting and expenses of travel, necessarily involved when a central body is undertaking the work. Moreover, the area that can be covered by the C.A.M.W. is at present limited by consideration of distance from London by train or car, for experience amply shows that in addition to the routine visits necessary for adequate supervision, an additional visit, if required, from some- one who can take a detached view, often ensures the easy adjustment of minor causes of irritation and difficulty. To make a success of Guardianship no pains must be spared in regard to small details which seem absurdly insignificant, but which in the sum total make up all the difference between success and failure.
The C.A.M.W. Scheme embraces all types of defectives suitable to be placed in the community?imbecile children who attend Occupation Centres, men who can be usefully occupied or can earn wages on farms, small holdings, or at routine work in factories, women (from 16-50), some of them high-grade feeble-minded, capable of contributing to their own support, and others of the imbecile class for whom maintenance is paid.
In this survey, no distinction is made between cases placed under guard- ianship and those on licence from institutions, as in practice, except for the necessary formalities, the duties of supervision are in essence the same. Cases are received from Public Assistance Committees as well as from Mental Deficiency Committees. Indeed, there is reason to think that many cases are still in Public Assistance Institutions who could very well be placed in the community and could, at any rate, contribute to their own support if they were under proper supervision.
Generally it is found that those cases are the more difficult to deal with who come under the C.A.M.W. Scheme direct from their own homes. This is to be expected, for it is usually because control is lacking that the defective has to be placed away from home; discipline and restraint on leisure time are resented more if no period has been spent in an institution. By those who have experienced institutional life, and have expressed a great desire to be placed out, the comparative freedom of conditions in a private household is apprec- iated. After a period of some years’ definite training in an institution, many defectives become capable of quite good work, and can adapt themselves to life in a private family after a few months, and it should be readily possible to transfer such cases to guardianship from time to time if periodic review of cases in institutions were made by authorities. The C.A.M.W. Scheme is available for defectives of varying types and ages.
Children under 16 or between 16 and 18 (approx.) By arrangement with the Middlesex County Council, if accommodation is available, children from out-counties can, for a fee of ^15 per annum, attend one of the Occupation Centres or Handicraft Centres organised by the C.A.M.W. on behalf of the County Council. The C.A.M.W. undertake to find suitable guardians in the neighbourhood, and such marked improvement has occurred in the children receiving such training and control that it is hoped that further use will be made of this opportunity. There must be many child- ren up and down the country in isolated districts where an Occupation Centre is impracticable and a home teacher not available, who deteriorate for want of training.
In addition, the C.A.M.W. has recently undertaken to place under guard- ianship children who are of such low grade or so young that they cannot be with other children at Occupation Centres. Such children should more prop- erly be in institutions, but while the shortage of institutions continues, the C.A.M.W. is willing to consider such cases, and has been successful in finding guardians who gladly expend time and patience on these particularly difficult little ones.
Women These may be divided into: ? (a) Those capable of supporting themselves entirely or partially. (b) Those needing training or such care and control that maintenance must be paid for them. Of the cases under the C.A.M.W. Scheme 50% fall within each of these categories.
Great care is exercised in the choice of guardians, so that in the first class, no exploitation need be feared, and in the second class, habits of cleanliness, tidiness and orderly work can be encouraged. Domestic service offers the best avenue of work for class (a) and the C.A.M.W. makes a point of periodically reviewing the progress made by those first placed in class (b), so that as soon as justified, Authorities may be relieved of the payment of maintenance. Examples:
E. J. Aged 33. First placed by the C.A.M.W. in 1927 at ^13 p.a., now earn- ing over ^35 p.a. Her chief difficulty has been quarrelsomeness, ex- treme talkativeness and impudence, and these characteristics have been the cause of many changes in situations. Her work is, however, good: she is thrifty and self-respecting.
R. C. Aged 29, First placed with maintenance in 1927, and within the last six months earning “20 p.a. (approx.) Insolence and defiant behaviour characterised this girl, and though she is still by no means easy to place, she is beginning to appreciate that she cannot hope to realise her am- bition to become permanently self-supporting if she resents control. L. S. Aged 36. First placed in 1926, with maintenance grant of 10/-, and now earning ^13 p.a. This woman is uncertified and was placed under guardianship from a Training Home for Defectives. She has endeared herself to the guardians with whom she has been placed and but for her physical delicacy would now be earning more money. She is, however, at present with a mistress who goes out of her way to see that she has light work and gives her many special privileges, so that it is more in the interests of the woman for her to remain where she is.
Others always remain in class (b) or are never able to earn sufficient to provide their own clothes without some help from the Authority. Yet others become so deeply attached to the family with whom they are first placed that for the sake of their continued happiness, no change is contemplated even though, were the particular guardians to be no longer available, the defectives in question might possibly earn a higher remuneration elsewhere. To class (b) belong the older defectives (imbecile) of quiet disposition, for whom authorities are more and more asking the C.A.M.W. to provide homes. There is a long waiting list of guardians willing to take younger women who need training, and even in the case of these older defectives it is generally possible to deal with the cases submitted without any delay.
One of the difficulties of the C.A.M.W. Scheme is that the defectives usually come from areas too far away to make an interview possible, and yet this in some instances would be exceedingly helpful in judging suitability for a particular guardian. Although the special form which Authorities are asked to fill up gives many details, it not infrequently happens that a girl whose application form appears to indicate sufficient capacity to warrant a small wage proves, when placed, to be too incapable and to need much training in personal habits as well as in work; while another defective, who on paper appears less efficient, is quite equal to domestic service under the right super- vision. Authorities and heads of institutions who give careful notes on die particular capacity of the defective assist very much towards a satisfactory selection of guardian.
The aim of the C.A.M.W. is, on the one hand, to ensure the happiness and protection of the defective, and on the other, to relieve the economic burden on the rates, and this double aim, of necessity, involves changes from time to time as the defective becomes more and more able to hold her own in life.
Mention has not been made of other types of work for women because up till now, few cases have been placed who are specially fitted for laundry or factory work. There is, however, a demand for girls in suitable garden-city or new suburb surroundings who can go daily to small factories or laundries and little difficulty would be experienced in finding suitable guardians who would give them adequate protection. The cases which have been tried in such situations have worked well and there is scope for extension.
Youths and Men
While there are several boys under 16 placed with guardians so that they may attend Occupation Centres, the number of youths and men placed under the C.A.M.W. is much less than the number of girls and women. The diffi- culties in the way are obvious. When there are so many normal applicants for one job, it is unlikely that the defective will be preferred. In the areas in which the C.A.M.W. scheme has hitherto worked there is no very great demand for factory hands and even if a youth can obtain a job, he is likely to be put off on account of slowness.
Examples: ? F. T. Aged 17. Placed with a Guardian who is indefatigable in obtaining jobs for him, which he is constantly losing. When in work he earns approximately 15/- to ?1 a week.
J. B. Aged 21. He was placed in March, 1930, and earns approximately ?1 a week. Though he works steadily, on the whole he is not an easy boy in the home, not really appreciative of the kindness shown to him, and sometimes very unmanageable.
Even in the case of boys who are earning, it is usual to ask the Authority pay a fixed maintenance fee to the guardian, so that there need be no anxiety when a boy is unemployed in regard to payment for Board and Lodging. Wages earned are in such cases refunded through the C.A.M.W. to the Author- ity, less a small amount retained by the boy for pocket money.
The majority of male cases under Guardianship are not self-supporting, though several of them are able to contribute indirectly by doing sufficient work for their guardians to justify less being paid for maintenance than usual. If the boy is fairly quiet and amenable there are a fair number of small nursery men and farmers who are able to give him suitable occupation and recognise that his work is of some small value. Whereas a girl can be happily occupied in housework, needlework or helping with children, there is a much greater difficulty in finding guardians for boys. Unless a boy is going out to work it is almost impossible to place him suitably near a town. It might be sup- posed that landwork would be freely available but no extra labour is being employed at these times and not infrequently though a farmer might give a lad the chance to work on his farm, he could not offer him accommodation nor could a suitable guardian be found close by.
Many guardians who would not refuse to undertake the care of a girl hesitate to accept responsibility for a boy, though in practice the boys we have accepted from authorities are less changeable and more amenable than many of the girls. Naturally the class of boy who is inclined to violence or has abnormal sex-tendencies is not suitable for Guardianship.
It is probable that some openings might be found for quiet good-mannered lads as houseboys, but up to the present few boys have seemed suitable for this type of work, so that no special effort has yet been made in this direction. Careful consideration would have to be given in each case, so that a boy so placed would have suitable recreation, as he would not be ” living with ” the family. Reference will later be made to the organisation of leisure time for girls, especially for those in domestic service: the difficulty is less acute with the boys, all of whom are living with the family of their guardians and sharing the general amusements. As far as is practicable they join Boy Scouts, Clubs, etc. If it were possible to group them more and to organise an evening club for them, it would be of immense advantage, but at present there are not enough of them in one place, and until labour conditions improve, it is not likely that their number will appreciate sufficiently to warrant a club. Choice of Guardians
At the commencement of the work, a great deal of time was necessarily spent in getting in touch with social and philanthropic organisations and religious bodies, through whom suitable guardians could be recommended. The work is now better known and applications are constantly received for the care of defectives and for their services. A personal visit is always made, the premises are inspected, and references are taken up. There is of course an inevitable difficulty in finding at the right moment the guardians who will suit the individual case. No special rules for the choice of a guardian can be made?an equable temperament, sympathy, firmness, are points to be con- sidered. It is delightful to note the genuine kindness and goodwill shown by the guardians who employ defectives in domestic service; they arrange outings and amusements for them with their own family in ways that would never be offered to an ordinary maid. On the whole, perhaps the happiest households for defectives are those where there are children.
Of special value for higher-grade defectives of difficult temperament are trained nurses, and some of those cases who have caused anxiety in the past are now settling down under guardians who have professional experience. Several defectives under the scheme are giving good service at a reasonable wage in nursing homes and hospitals, and so successful have been these placings that development in this direction seems justified.
Those who have the care of defectives on a maintenance basis though they undertake their care for economic or other reasons become genuinely attached to them. As one guardian said, ” I need them and they need me.” Sometimes a defective will be taken into a family after the loss of a child, and it is pathetic to see the devotion and affection lavished upon him.
While a great number of the defectives stay on with the same guardians year after year entirely happy and contented, there are others whose nature is such that they need rather frequent changes of environment. If they have had the organised life of an institution with its social activities and companionship and are placed in domestic service they often fret a good deal and it has to be recognised that sometimes the first home found for them proves unsuitable, not for any tangible reason, but just because they are making their first effort to adjust themselves to ordinary life. When a second home is found, they settle down well. Sometimes the fault lies with the guardian?as when one guardian refused to keep a young girl of 16 who did ” nothing but cry the girl was moved and was placed with a woman who has had considerable ex- perience, where she gives no trouble: her one fear is lest she should not be allowed to stay. But the higher grade defective who is capable of earning is often most difficult temperamentally, and though it is disheartening to have to make fresh arrangements frequently, it should be recognised that this is really in many cases an essential part of guardianship work. It should not be thought that the guardians have been ill-chosen or that the defective has proved herself unfit for life outside an institution.
Uncertified Cases
Among the higher grade groups are several who have never been certified and are probably uncertifiable. It is hoped that Public Assistance Committees who are usually responsible for these cases will continue to avail themselves ?f the C.A.M.W. scheme. Gratifying results have followed in very many of the uncertified cases entrusted to the Association. An uncertified lad who works at a Nursery, began at 2/6 a week and is now getting 15/-. A girl of 25, after having been in a small household on a small maintenance basis for a few months, was transferred to the care of a lady who has two or three maids. Every encouragement is given to the girl to improve herself and to become more self-reliant and she is responding splendidly. She is already earning more than ?21 a year. A disappointing case is B. R., who has failed under guardianship as she has failed under every other form of care during childhood. She is affectionate and can be very attractive and pleasant, but she becomes defiant and entirely uncontrollable if she is not the centre of interest. She was first placed with a lady who had been a nurse and wanted some assistance in a small household, but she could not keep her after a few months: she ran away from the next guardian, was afterward tried with another lady who was prepared to give her a great deal of help and attention, but again had to be hurriedly removed. A final attempt to help her by placing her with a nurse with special mental training has failed : it has to be recognised that her mental condition is serious and her Authority has been asked to withdraw her.
A marked improvement has been shown by A. J., who was exceedingly hysterical and could scarcely speak coherently because of the nervous stress of attempting to express herself. When she wrought herself up into a state of intense excitement, she would lose control and smash anything that lay to her hand. Though she is still unstable she has so improved that she can now speak without stammering. Quiet, firm handling has helped her enormously, and part of the success is due to her having been able to attend regularly every week at the Leisure Club (referred to later) and to special Speech Training lessons given by a specialist on the staff of the C.A.M.W.
It is often easier to find work for an uncertified case, even though certifica- tion might be justified, as many people are afraid of the responsibility of a case under the M.D. Acts.
Medical Care
Periodic visits by a medical man as required by the Regulations, are usually supplemented by some medical or dental treatment during the year. In some cases, if a special medical examination were given before the defective were placed under guardianship, necessary treatment could be carried out before removal, especially in regard to teeth and eyes. Such treatment is disturbing in a new environment and often involves the Authority in greater expense.
Clubs
The organisation of the leisure time of defectives presents great difficulties. They have so few resources within themselves and are apt to continue working all day long, or to have nothing to do. If they have been in Institutions, the girls can usually do needlework, etc., but many of them cannot read and if they can, do not find any pleasure in reading for any length of time.
If a girl is living with a family she can of course share in its recreations, but the defective in service is apt to be isolated. She may, and often does, join a branch of the Girls’ Friendly Society, or the Rangers, or the Women’s In- stitutes, but even so she finds it difficult to hold her own with normal girls and she sometimes gives up attending. To meet this difficulty the ” Girls’ Leisure Club ” was started by the C.A.M.W. in Hitchin, and some 35 girls placed out in the neighbourhood meet weekly in the premises of the Y.W.C.A. The average attendance is high, and the guardians gladly co-operate. A local committee of management has been formed, and at the end of its first year the Club can congratulate itself on having steadily increased its membership and having met its expenses out of the small weekly payment (id. for membership and id. or 2d. for tea) paid by the girls, and some voluntary contributions. Eurythmics, dancing, games, singing, sewing, are the chief activities of the Club, and at Christmas time a very successful entertainment was given by the members.
Those who have known the girls when they first came to the Club have remarked on their general improvement?the opportunity for activities in company with others, and organised play makes them more self-confident and widens their interests. There is a Girls’ Committee and this has been found helpful in increasing a sense of responsibility. The Guardians generally ap- preciate the Club (even though sometimes it is inconvenient to arrange for attendance), for in so many cases, a defective may be quite happy at work, but cannot be trusted to find her own amusement.
A similar experiment has been tried successfully in a suburb of London. One of the Guardians invites all those defectives placed in the area to meet weekly at her house. At present the group is only small, but club rules have been drawn up and a Captain appointed by the girls.
Home Teaching
This year an attempt is to be made to give some regular teaching in rug- making or other activity to certain of the defectives who are of the imbecile class and who are thought likely to respond to some training but are not near either of the Clubs. A member of the C.A.M.W. staff will visit regularly and the guardians will be asked to supervise the work between the visits.
Holiday Camps
Last year some 37 girls spent a fortnight at Seaford in a Y.W.C.A. Hostel in charge of three of the C.A.M.W. staff. The holiday had to be held in June, which is not a convenient time for holidays in many households, but the guardians went out of their way to make the arrangements possible. The cost to the Authorities was approximately ^3 per head. The fortnight thus spent with the girls, which revealed many sides of their character previously
unknown to the C.A.M.W. staff, has helped very much in the understanding of their special difficulties. Throughout the fortnight there were organised activities which afforded scope for unexpected capacities. Such an opportunity for closer study has proved of great value and this year a certain number of defectives are again going into camp?this time at Littlehampton, where the C.A.M.W. have rented a hostel.
Other holidays are arranged for individually and occasionally a Y.W.C.A. hostel will accept a certain amount of responsibility while a girl is on holiday. It would, however, be very useful if there were some permanent holiday home where the girls could be sent as required for holiday or convalescence. Similarly, a real need would be filled if there were a home available where a girl could be tested as to general capacity in house-work before being placed under guardianship.
From the foregoing account it will be seen that Guardianship can and does involve many subsidiary activities and cannot be gauged simply by the number on the books at any one time. There are, moreover, constant changes in the cases dealt with due to withdrawals on account of unsuitability, dis- charges from the Act and occasional escapes. It cannot too often be repeated that the keynote of success is keeping in close personal touch with the guardians and with the cases, so that there is a real sense of friendliness.
Apart from maintenance charges (usually 15/- per week for girls and ?1 per week for boys), the Authorities pay ^5 (girls) and jCj (boys) per annum for clothes and meet the necessary medical expenses for medical attendance. The C.A.M.W. fee for supervision is 25/- a quarter. It is not claimed that in all cases the cost is less than in Institutions, but if suitable cases can be placed under Guardianship, institutional accommodation can be freed for more urgent cases. And there is the expectation that a large number of the cases will contribute to their own support.
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