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The North London Society for Mentally Handicapped children, which is grantaided
by the Council, opened a private Day Nursery, registered under the Nurseries
and Child Minders' Regulation Act 1948, for severely subnormal children under 5
years. Originally the accommodation provided was for six children but following
alterations to the premises the number of places was later increased to 24 children
between the ages of 2 and 5 years.
The Elfrida Rathbone Committee,, which also received a Borough grant for its
work amongst educationally subnormal children and their families, ran an extremely
successful club for educationally subnormal school leavers of both sexes, and a
Mothers Club where E.S.N! housewives receive instruction in simple cookery and
household management. The mental health social workers worked closely with both
these voluntary organisations.
Recuperative Holidays (Sections 22 & 28 - National Health Service Act, 1946, and
Education Act, 1944)
Recuperative holidays were arranged on medical recommendations, approved by a
senior medical officer, for persons not needing medical treatment or nursing care,
but who would benefit from rest, food and fresh air. Placings were made either
direct or through the Inner London Education Authority. The latter maintained a
recuperative holiday home, Roland House, for 36 children from 2 to 8 years of age and
leased another home, Cambridge House, for 44 children from 8 years of age to school
leaving age. Children who could not be accommodated in these homes and all adults
were placed in homes under private ownership or maintained by voluntary organisations.
During the year the Inner London Education Authority placed 144 school and nursery
school children and 6 pre-school children from Islington.
Admissions to Recuperative Holiday Homes
(Including Holborn figures from 1.1.65 - 31.3.65.)
Expectant and nursing mothers 3
Other Adults 172
Children under 5 not at school 14
School and nursery school children 10
Total 199
Family Planning (Section 22 & 28 - National Health Service Act, 1946)
Local health authorities are empowered to make arrangements at their own clinics
or at clinics run by voluntary organisations,for family planning advice to be given to
married women for whom further pregnancies would be dangerous or detrimental to health
The Borough grant-aided the Family Planning Association's one clinic in Islington, in
Spencer Street. E.C 1., and also paid on a per capita basis the Association's consultation
fee for each Islington woman who attended for family planning advice on health
grounds on the recommendation of the Borough Council's medical officers. During the
period 1st April to 31st December, 1965, 204 women were referred for this advice on
medical grounds and 136 actually attended. Arrangements were also made during the
year for a family planning clinic to be run directly bv the Borough Council to give
family planning advice to women referred on medical grounds by general practitioners
and the Council's medical officers; these arrangements were completed by the end of
the year, the clinic starting at the East Islington Welfare Centre, Drayton Park, in
January, 1966.
Cervical Cytology
Proposals were approved in principle by the Council for the establishment of a
cervical cytological clinic as early as possible in 1966. linked with the family
planning clinic at the East Islington Welfare Centre, subject to Ministry of Health
approval.
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