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A few children attend, mostly for short periods, private playgroups but
this is not a suitable arrangement.
The day nurseries are now the responsibility of the Social Services
Directorate, but the policy of placing about 10% of handicapped children
in a day nursery, which was initiated by the Health Department when it was
responsible for day nurseries, is still adhered to.
The population in day nurseries since the establishment of the
Directorate of Social Services has, however, changed considerably; many socially
deprived children who did not attend anywhere were "discovered" by social.
workers and placed in day nurseries on the priority of social handicap. This
policy proved to be extremely valuable by bringing out into the open the
population of children who would otherwise escape our attention until the
time they reached school. On the other hand, it has created a situation whereby
the increased demands of these socially and emotionally deprived children on
the personal support of the staff has resulted in handicapped children not
receiving the same attention as in the past. It is imperative that with the existing
social conditions in Lambeth, more specialised daily placement should be available
for handicapped children if they are to derive experience in forming personal
relationships and to receive sensory stimulation, which is the fundamental purpose
of daily placement of handicapped children in day nurseries. Several mentally
retarded and physically handicapped children have attended, on a part-time
basis, the nursery class at one of the schools for physically handicapped children.
This arrangement is not being continued. When approaching the age of five,
mentally handicapped children are recommended to the Inner London
Education Authority for placement in special schools for ESN children (severe).
The medical information on these children is, of course, available to the Education
Authority very much earlier.
Lambeth has more schools for handicapped children than any other borough.