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Personal social services

Winson Green Hospital in Birmingham was built in 1847 and was designed to accommodate 800 people with psychiatric needs. In 1953, it housed 1,200 patients.

Winson Green Hospital in Birmingham was built in 1847 and was designed to accommodate 800 people with psychiatric needs. In 1953, it housed 1,200 patients.
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'Personal social services' describes a range of services provided by local authorities for a number of vulnerable groups, including the mentally and physically disabled, older people and neglected children.

Related documents

Seebohm Committee recommendations

Cabinet Memorandum. Report of the Interdepartmental Committee on Local Authority and Allied Personal Social Services. 16 July 1968 (PDF, 1.926MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 3. Social Services. 18 July 1968 (PDF, 1.904MB)

Mental health services

Cabinet Conclusion 5. Royal Commission on Lunacy. 17 March 1924 (PDF, 0.290MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 15. The Mental Deficiency (Amendment) Bill, 1926. 14 July 1926. (PDF, 3.242MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 8. The Mental Treatment Bill. 20 November 1929 (PDF, 4.709MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Proposals for a National Health Service. Memorandum by the Minister of Reconstruction, the Minister of Health and the Secretary of State for Scotland. 5 February 1944 (PDF, 21.256MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. National Health Service. Memorandum by the Lord President of the Council. 4 June 1945 (PDF, 2.137MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Services for mentally handicapped. Memorandum by the Secretary of State for Social Services. 20 May 1971 (PDF, 20.131MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. White Paper on Mental Illness. Memorandum by the Secretary of State for Social Services. 23 July 1975 (PDF, 24.690MB)

Services for the physically disabled

Cabinet Conclusion 2. Disabled Persons. 5 January 1942 (PDF, 1.510MB)

Old-age services

Cabinet Memorandum. Proposals for a National Health Service. Memorandum by the Minister of Reconstruction, the Minister of Health and the Secretary of State for Scotland. 5 February 1944 (PDF, 21.256MB)

Search using Mental Deficiency Act Disabled Persons (Employment) Act Mental Health Act

Further reading

Bridgen, P. & Lowe, R., Welfare Policy under the Conservatives 1951-1964 A Guide to Documents in the Public Record Office (London:Public Record Office, 1998)
Lowe, R., The welfare state in Britain since 1945 (New York: St. Martin's Press, 1999)
Jones, M. & Lowe, R., From Beveridge to Blair: The First Fifty Years of Britain's Welfare State 1948-98 (Manchester and New York: Manchester University Press, 2002)

Content

Personal social services
Mental health services
Physically disabled and old-age services

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