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69
THE STRUCTURE OF CARE OF MENTALLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN
IN LAMBETH DIRECTORATE OF HEALTH
In the Lambeth Directorate of Health, the care of children is divided
between two administrative sections according to the child's age: the pre-school
child and the school child.
PRE SCHOOL CHILDREN (AGE GROUP 0-5)
The mentally handicapped children are monitored in the Handicapped
Child Unit, similarly to all other handicapped children. Centrally, the Unit
consists of three senior doctors, one area nursing officer, one clerk and her
assistant. Three other doctors, experienced in developmental assessment, work
for the Unit in the field. The Unit is in close contact with doctors in Child
Health Centres, with Health Visitors, with general practitioners and with
Hospital paediatric departments.
A pattern of co-operation is gradually emerging in relation to the Social
Services Directorate: the principal medical officer in charge of the Handicapped
Child Unit is also medical adviser to the Social Services Department on problems
connected with young children; it is hoped that a specialist social worker may
soon be appointed to work exclusively with the handicapped under-fives.
The Inner London Education Authority is responsible for the education
of handicapped children, including those under the age of five; unfortunately,
places for the latter are scarce. It has, however, made available the services of
Braidwood Audiology Unit for the under-fives.
The plan to which the Handicapped Child Unit works is as follows :-
A. Early identification
B. Complete assessment and follow-up
C. Prompt medical and surgical treatment
D. Parent Guidance and help
E. Suitable placement and education
F. Final placement in the Community
A. EARLY IDENTIFICATION OF MENTALLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN
The Unit has elaborated a method of collecting information regarding
handicapped children and suspected handicapped children. The figures which we
will be quoting refer not to the number of handicapped children in Lambeth but
to the number of handicapped children known to us and entered on the
Observation Hanidcap Index. These figures fluctuate from day to day