[Report 1960] / Medical Officer of Health, Newport (Gwent) County Borough.
- Newport (Wales). County Council.
- Date:
- 1960
Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Credit: [Report 1960] / Medical Officer of Health, Newport (Gwent) County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![MENTAL HEALTH Reference was made in my Annua] Report for 1959 to the anticipated expansion of the Mental Health Services, and it is satisfactory to report that the Local Health Authority’s Proposed Development Programme has been approved by the Minister of Health. Included in this Programme is the construction of two Residential Homes, one for persons suffering from severe subnormality or subnormality, and the other for persons suffering from mental illness or psychopathic disorder. The Homes will be attached to one another so that economies can be effected by sharing one kitchen, one boiler room, and so on. There will be a separate entrance to each Home, the levels of the land being such that one Home will be a three-storey building and the other a two storey building. The Welsh Board of Health have agreed in principle to the proposal. Sketch plans have been agreed and it is hoped that construction will commence during the financial year 1961/62. A tender has been accepted for the construction of the new Training Centre (to which a Mother and Child Welfare Centre will be attached) at Mai pas (Westfield) and it is expected that the building will be ready for occupation during the early part of 1962. To meet their increased responsibilities under the Act, the Local Health Authority propose to employ a qualified Psychiatric Social Worker, For this purpose, an existing member of the staff will be afforded the full facilities of the post entry training scheme, in order that she may attend a Psychiatric Social Worker’s Course at a University, If she qualifies, she will be appointed the Senior Officer of a new Section to be created in the Department for the purpose of dealing with the duties connected with mental health, psychiatric social work and social work, and the organis ation of the Home Help Service, WELSH BOARD OF HEALTH CIRCULAR 3/59, DATED 10th MARCH, 1959 (CHILD GUIDANCE) The fact that the Psychiatrist only attended the Child Guidance Clinic on one session a fortnight, which was not adequate for him to deal with cases referred to him, and that this resulted in the pressure of these cases being transferred to the Educational Psychologist, effectively prevented any implementations of the recommendat ion in the circular that members of the Child Guidance team should advise the medical and nursing staff of child welfare clinics on such problems of emotional development and behaviour difficulties as they might encounter in their regular contacts with mothers and young children. In 1961 the Psychiatrist is to attend twice weekly and it may be possible to make some start with this, although even this time allocation is only half of that recommended by the Report of the Committee on maladjusted children as appropriate to an authority with a school population the size of Newport’s, CARE OF MOTHERS AND YOUNG CHILDREN The new Mother and Child Welfare Centre, attached to the new Training Centre at Malpas, will be opened in the early part of 1962 and it is hoped that the construction of another new Centre, attached to the proposed new Ambulance Depot, will be commenced during that year. In addition, the Local Health Authority are negotiating for the purchase of an existing building in the Caerleon Road area for adaptation and use as a Mother and Child Welfare Centre, Vi/hen these premises are available the use of certain rented halls for use as Centres will be discontinued. The better facilities will enable the Department to extend its activities in Health Education, including Mothercraft Classes, Relaxation Exercises, Midwives’ Ante-Natal Clinics, and talks on general health and hygiene. The subject of Health Education has been somewhat restricted owing to the lack of suitable premises. -7-](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b28867014_0009.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
