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183
would otherwise have no holiday. A charge of approximately £4
per week is levied but this is subject to abatement under the Council's
assessment scale and some trainees pay only a few shillings.
Other holidays are dealt with under the short term care
schemes.

Eltham Creche
This nursery was established by the Woolwich and Greenwich
Society for Mentally Handicapped Children and received grants
from the former London County Council to cover a substantial
portion of the running costs.
Now, under the control of the Greenwich Society for Mentally
Handicapped Children, this nursery provides accommodation for
some 15 mentally handicapped young children of whom 10 are
sponsored by this Council.
Darenth Park and Goldie Leigh Hospitals
Both formal and informal links have been established by the
department with these two important hospitals and consultation
and exchange of information is unrestricted. Undoubtedly, however,
there is a great deficiency of beds in the area for mentally subnormal
children but, with improvements and expansion in the local community
care services, a freer exchange of patients will be possible in the
future and perhaps larger numbers of these children will be able
eventually to be accepted into the community. The hospital authorities
realise that there are patients who by the nature and severity of
their disabilities must be admitted to or remain in hospital care.
Boarding Out
A few adult subnormals are boarded out with local landladies
and where the patient is unable to earn sufficient for his keep or
where statutory benefits fall short of needs, facilities exist for the
Council to subvent.
Long and short term care schemes are successfully introduced
and advantage is taken of hospital facilities, approved voluntary