News of the Voluntary Associations, 1935-36
The following items of special interest are taken from Annual Reports of Voluntary Associations for Mental Welfare, which have reached us during the last few weeks; the record is necessarily a brief one bat it will serve to give some idea of the diverse, and varied activities which are carried on.
Bath
This Association continues to specialise in the work of Statutory Supervision, After-Care of children who have left the Special School, and the Occupation Centre. It records with regret the closing of the Boys’ Centre, but hopes that it may be possible to re-open it again later.
Buckinghamshire
A new Division with Slough as its centre has recently been instituted owing to the growth of the Association’s work, making five divisions in all.
Darlington
A Mental Treatment Clinic has recently been opened under the direction of the Medical Superintendent of the Durham County Mental Hospital (Dr Wilson) in the work of which the co-operation of the Association has been sought. The Secretary attends the Clinic’s weekly session as Social Worker.
The Occupation Centre has benefited greatly by the help of the Darlington Training College for teachers. Students come once a week, primarily to help with games, etc., and their service is much appreciated.
Close co-operation has also been maintained with Toe. H and its League of Women Helpers, in the running of two Clubs, one for M.D. boys, the other for M.D. girls.
It is reported that the Secretary of the Association now acts as official Probation Officer for all mental defectives in the Borough. The experiment has proved an unqualified success and is believed to be the first of its kind.
Derby
A Harvest Festival, was held in September at the Association’s Occupation Centre conducted by Mrs. Benson, Organiser of Centres, Staffordshire. The children brought gifts and, in addition, fruit and flowers were sent by the Parks Superintendent and the Borough Mental Hospital.
The produce, with scrap books and woolly toys made by the children, was given to the Children’s Ward of the City Hospital.
Devon
During 1935, the Association made a beginning in boarding out patients from the Devon Mental Hospital under Section 55 of the Lunacy Act, 1890. Between June and December eight homes were found for eight female patients. Other work done for the Hospital has included attendances at the Out-Patient Clinic in Exeter and social work arising therefrom.
There were 118 defectives under Guardianship during the year for which the Association was responsible, 43 of them being out-county cases. The Report alludes to the need for an increase in staff in order to develop the Boarding Out and Guardianship branches of the work, and is able to add a note that in March, 1936, the County Council increased their grant by ?445.
Hastings
This Association confines itself to the provision of ” supervision, occupation, instruction, recreation and other interests ” for defectives in the area, either living in their own homes or as patients at the Municipal Hospital.
The Occupation Centre which is the Association’s main activity caters in the morning chiefly for younger defectives and in the afternoon chiefly for those from the Municipal Hospital who are brought to and fro daily.
The Report comments on the value of the Centre’s percussion band which gives great joy to those taking part in it. By kind permission of the Education Committee, the pupils use the Halton School Playing Field on two mornings weekly for cricket and other games, and on one afternoon weekly during the summer, games are played in the grounds of the Municipal Hospital.
Ipswich
The Association continues to carry out social work in connection with the Psychologic Clinic at the East Suffolk and Ipswich Hospital under Dr Percy Banbury, and to provide after-care and help in obtaining employment for patients discharged from the Mental Hospital.
Gratitude is expressed to the Ipswich Branch of Toe. H, who, assisted by the League of Women Helpers, is responsible for an Evening Club for M.D. Lads. A Social Afternoon for young women has been held in the Toe. H Hall once a month, which has been much appreciated.
In addition to the Occupation Centre for imbecile children, a Basketry Class has been held on the office premises during the year on four mornings a week attended by twelve youths, and a Sewing Class for girls has met twice a week.
Kent
The Association has now five full-time and three half-time Occupation Centres in the area, and one voluntary Occupation Class.
There were 108 cases on the books of the Association, under Guardianship or on License from Institutions, during the year.
Eight children attending the Special School at Tonbridge are under the care of the Association’s Boarding Out Committee.
In addition to feeble-minded children supervised for the Kent Education Committee, 14 uncertified cases were referred to the Association by the Committee, for investigation into special difficulties connected with school backwardness or home conditions. Psychological examination has been arranged where necessary, and the Association feels that this is an encouraging development of its work.
Lancashire, North
The Secretary attends, as social worker, at the two Mental Treatment Clinics in the area?one at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary, and the other at the North Lonsdale Hospital, Barrow-in-Furness.
Lancashire, South-East
The centralised Occupation Centre, absorbing four smaller Centres in the Manchester area, held at Welfare House, caters for low-grade children and older higher-grade girls and boys. The girls are trained in cooking and housework and laundry, and several have, as a result, obtained employment as domestic servants or ward maids and are doing well. The boys do creditable work in the garden of the Centre and the kitchen garden has yielded good results.
The Association continues to be responsible for the social work connected with the four Mental Treatment Clinics in the area, and one Clinic is held at the Association’s offices weekly, under the direction of the Medical Superintendent of the Prestwich Mental Hospital.
The Report calls attention to the desirability of developing Guardianship in the aiea and of ceasing to limit its use to defectives living with their parents.
Southampton
The Secretary continues to attend the Psychological Clinic once a week and daring the year under review, visited 184 patients referred to her for this purpose.
Staffordshire
This Association is now responsible for eight Occupation Centres, and the number is shortly to be increased to ten. The Centre in Lichfield has recently acquired premises of its own assigned to it by the County Council, consisting of part of the former Girl’s Industrial School, with spacious rooms and a large garden^ The children are drawn from a wide area.
Suffolk
There were on 31st March, 1936, 22 women patients boarded out by the Association from the Mental Hospital. Thirteen patients have now been living with the same family for over two years, and gratitude is expressed to the Guardians who have helped to contribute to the success of the scheme.
The Secretary acts as Investigation Officer for the East and West Suffolk County Councils in determining the financial circumstances of all Voluntary and Temporary Rate-Aided patients admitted to the Mental Hospital.
A good output of saleable work continues to be made by defectives in the area receiving Home Training, but there is considerable difficulty in disposing of such work, and the Association appeals for help in this direction.
Sussex, East
To arouse interest in the training of defectives, the girls from the Hermitage Training Home, Fairwarp in March, 1936, gave a performance in Lewes, of ” Hiawatha,” which won great commendation, as well as a useful collection in iid of the Association.
The difficulty of work in this area is increased by the absence of any local institutional provision for M.D. children, as parents are reluctant to send them as far away as Bath and Bristol.
The Association has found homes in Eastbourne for ten feeble-minded children boarded out by the Education Committee so that they may attend the Special School.
The Training of Low Grade Defectives
The Staffordshire Mental Welfare Association is arranging to hold a week’s course in Stafford from Monday, 5th October to Friday, 9th October, 1936. The Course will deal with methods of teaching defectives, with special reference to lowgrade cases and will include demonstrations, lectures and classes in musical and rhythmic training and singing.
Applications should be sent to the Secretary of the Staffordshire Mental Welfare Association, Barclays Bank Chambers, 15, Market Square, Stafford, not later than August 31st. The Fee for the Course is ?1 Is. Od.
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