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57
DAY NURSERIES - 1969
The ten day nurseries in Lambeth provided excellent care from 7.30 or
8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily for 596 children with special needs (social and/or medical),
and there continued to be a waiting list for this service. Requests came mainly
from health visitors, child care officers and an increasing number from hospitals.
During the previous year, provision was made for some children to attend
part-time at five nurseries, to give the equivalent of an additional 60 places and
so lessen the waiting list. Unfortunately it was found that in one nursery full use
was not being made by the parents of the part-time unit, and so it was decided
to revert to full time placements.
Many emergency places were provided for children to prevent their reception
into care. It is unfortunate to find a growing number of families where mother
has deserted and father is struggling to keep the family together. Each nursery
accommodated a few handicapped children and it was encouraging for the staff
who worked tremendously hard with these little ones to see in some cases great
improvement, which enabled the children to go on to special or even ordinary
schools. Tulse Hill Special Unit continued to provide good day care for nine
severely handicapped children. The staff in the Unit has given devoted service
in the work that needs great patience and understanding.
The staffing situation fluctuated throughout the year. Although there were
times when a full staff was achieved, the turnover remained high, mainly because
of the high number of young girls who want to move to other types of nursery
work to gain experience.
There was a large number of applicants for the 30 Nursery Nurse Training
places, which enabled candidates to be carefully selected, thus reducing the
number of failures. 21 students who sat for the N.N.E.B. examination during
the year passed, and three went on to take nurse training.
Several staff, having had a few years nursery experience since qualification,
went to refresher courses, and ten attended a most useful and interesting week's
course on the Immigrant Child. The speakers were from Commonwealth and
other countries and each talked of the history and culture patterns of his own
land. Two matrons attended the Annual Conference of the National Association
of Nursery Matrons at Llandudno, when the theme was "Children in the Social
Structure of Today", and two staff attended a useful course at Bristol on the
Handicapped Child.