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SOCIAL AND RECREATION CLUB FOR MENTALLY SUB-NORMAL ADULTS
The local branches of the National Society for Mentally Handicapped Children continued to
assist in running a social and recreation centre for severely handicapped subnormal adults and the
Council also continued to permit the use of Wren Road Clinic, Sidcup, on one evening a week.
Staff from this department serve on the committee and also attend as helpers. The number of
persons attending averages 30 per week, comprising 14 males and 16 females between the ages of
16 and 36 years.
IN-SERVICE TRAINING FOR TRAINING CENTRE STAFF
This year, the 2 study days established during previous years were held on 22nd May and
23rd November for the staff of Bromley and Bexley, and Darenth Park and Goldie Leigh Hospitals
for the severely mentally subnormal. The staff from junior and adult centres in the Local
Authorities and hospitals attended and were joined for part of the day by members of the Mental
Health Section. One of the participating authorities acts as host thus cutting expenditure to a
minimum while offering one platform for study and discussion of problems common to all.
The study day in May was chaired by Dr. W. Wollen, Psychiatrist, Darenth Park, and was
held in that hospital. The film "A Place like Home" was shown and discussed. Papers on "Aims
and Methods in Adult Training Centres" and 'The Future Services for the Mentally Handicapped
Child" were read and discussed.
The second meeting in November took place in the newly opened purpose built Marlborough
Training Centre in Bexley and a paper on the topical subject of 'Transition" was followed by
short papers prepared by members of staff on special activities in their individual centres. In the
afternoon the Headmaster of Meldreth Training School presented a paper on 'The training and
education of the mentally and physically handicapped" followed by a short paper on "Mime and
Speech".
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