View report page

The Early Care Unit
The 15 places at the Early Care Unit, Shaftesbury Day Nursery, were fully occupied
throughout the year. There continued to be a waiting list for admission and children
were selected to fill vacancies mainly on the basis of social priority, having due regard
to the needs of each child.
Junior Training Centre
Throughout the year the Junior Training Centre has been fully occupied. The five
children from Lambeth were transferred to a new centre opened by the Borough
of Lambeth and at the end of the year all the children attending the Lewisham
centre were resident in the Borough of Lewisham. For the first time this year we
had a substantial waiting list. On 31st December nine children over the age of
5 years were waiting for places.
These figures are an indication of the increasing problem of mental handicap.
A growing number of children with severe mental and physical handicaps are surviving
the early years. In many cases their handicaps are so severe that they cannot
benefit from the facilities offered in the Junior Training Centre. These children
present considerable problems to their families owing to the degree of care and
supervision they require. The Council endeavours to help these families and thus
delay admission to long-term residential care by providing a special care unit
attached to the Junior Training Centre. In October, 1969, the number of special
care places was increased from 12 to 30 by adding an annexe to the existing unit
to take six more children and by opening a temporary special care unit at the Baptist
Church Hall. Perry Rise, S.E.23, to accommodate 12 children. Part of the cost of
the temporary special care unit will be reimbursed by an Urban Programme grant
from the Central Government.
In addition to a senior assistant supervisor, a supervisor/teacher and seven attendants,
a physiotherapist is employed for two sessions per week to help those children
suffering from physical handicaps.
Adult Training Centres
Owing to redevelopment in Deptford the Adult Training Centre had to move from
St. Michael's Church Hall to the Methodist Central Hall, Creek Road, S.E.8. This
has made possible some improvement in facilities, such as the provision of separate
dining room. The Brockley Adult Training Centre moved from St. Peter's Church
Hall to better premises at the Methodist Church Hall, Kitto Road, S.E.14.
In October the Borough of Lambeth were able to make their own arrangements
for 15 women trainees from Lambeth who had been attending the Brockley Adult
Training Centre. This made possible some reduction in the numbers on the roll.
At the end of the year a total of 57 men and 46 women were attending adult training
centres, all, except one who came from Southwark, residents of the Borough of
Lewisham.
All-London Annual Seaside Holiday
Nineteen adults and 17 children accompanied by members of the staff went on the
two-week annual holiday to St. Mary's Bay, Dymchurch. Later in the summer a
group of 20 children from the nursery classes of the Junior Training Centre went
for two weeks holiday, also to St. Mary's Bay, accompanied by their own staff
and the mental health social worker responsible for liaison work with the centre.
Short-Term Care
Short-term residential care, to provide relief for their families, was provided for
43 mentally subnormal children and 23 adults. 58 of these were found places in
approved homes and eight in hospitals.
53