LCC / Tavistock Clinic "Neighbourhood Clinic" Project

The proposal for a neighbourhood service was derived from a desire for Tavistock Clinic's Department for Children and Parents to engage more with its community, particularly local schools which might benefit from the Clinic's help in the area of child guidance. The intention was to develop preventative mental health strategies, to tackle emotional difficutlies in children at a younger age through early intervention, and so address the growth of waiting lists for child guidance clinics. In 1953, the Joint Working Party of the LCC and Tavistock Clinic on Preventative Mental Health in the Maternity and Child Welfare Service was formed. in 1957, a working party was established which included Clinic staff (a psychiatrist, a psychiatric social worker, a child psychotherapist, and a psychologist), as well as a member of the Tavistock Institute of Human Relations in an advisory capacity. This group was established to plan how to set up the new neighbourhood service, and how to integrate this new project with the other main clinic activities. Meetings were then set up with head teachers, school medical officers and the Care Committee secretaries. The Neighbourhood Clinic involved contact with five local schools, working with children with low educational attainment, or other developmental and emotional difficulties. Work included individual and group remedial teaching, individual and group verbal and non-verbal tests, discussions with school staff and pupils, etc. The question of pupil referral to the Clinic was considered at a School-based Problem Case Conference. Includes field notes for visits to schools, meeting notes, detailed papers relating to the establishment of the Neighbourhood Clinic scheme.

1957-1958

1 file

The proposal for a neighbourhood service was derived from a desire for Tavistock Clinic's Department for Children and Parents to engage more with its community, particularly local schools which might benefit from the Clinic's help in the area of child guidance. The intention was to develop preventative mental health strategies, to tackle emotional difficutlies in children at a younger age through early intervention, and so address the growth of waiting lists for child guidance clinics.

In 1953, the Joint Working Party of the LCC and Tavistock Clinic on Preventative Mental Health in the Maternity and Child Welfare Service was formed. in 1957, a working party was established which included Clinic staff (a psychiatrist, a psychiatric social worker, a child psychotherapist, and a psychologist), as well as a member of the Tavistock Institute of Human Relations in an advisory capacity. This group was established to plan how to set up the new neighbourhood service, and how to integrate this new project with the other main clinic activities. Meetings were then set up with head teachers, school medical officers and the Care Committee secretaries.

The Neighbourhood Clinic involved contact with five local schools, working with children with low educational attainment, or other developmental and emotional difficulties. Work included individual and group remedial teaching, individual and group verbal and non-verbal tests, discussions with school staff and pupils, etc. The question of pupil referral to the Clinic was considered at a School-based Problem Case Conference.

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