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The Radio Taxi Service administered by the London Borough of Lambeth
was no longer available after August 1970. Alternatively arrangements were made
for a radio taxi service to be available to Southwark mental welfare officers in
cases of emergency outside normal office hours.
During the early part of the year discussions took place with representatives
of the London Ambulance Service in an effort to improve the service and reduce
delays in the provision of ambulances for transporting mentally disordered
patients to hospital in emergency and taking physically and mentally handicapped
children to and from the special care unit each week for hospital physiotherapy
treatment.
Difficulties were experienced during a five week period in the autumn
when a dispute involving Council and Inner London Education Authority manual
workers including drivers, severely disrupted transport facilities. Meals normally
provided by Inner London Education Authority School Kitchens could not be
made available to Camberwell and Castle Day Centres, the Junior Training
Schools and Special Care Unit. Parents were requested to provide their children
with suitable packed lunches and special arrangements were made for mid-day
meals to be provided at the Day Centres. Although some parents were able to
take their children to, and collect them from, the special care unit, others were
unable to do so and had to keep their children at home during this period. A
number of the elderly mentally infirm persons were unable to travel to the Evelyn
Coyle Day Centre during the dispute. Attenders at the adult training centre and
junior training schools continued to be transported by hire coaches; these transport
arrangements were unaffected.
Transfer of Responsibility for Education of Mentally Handicapped Children
The Education (Handicapped Children) Act, 1970, which received the
Royal Assent on 23rd July, 1970, provided for the transfer of responsibility for
the education of mentally handicapped children from local health authorities to
local education authorities. The Secretary of State for Education and Science
subsequently determined that the transfer of responsibility should take place
on 1st April, 1971. Accordingly, close liaison and consultation with the Inner
London Education Authority on the services, establishments and staff to be
transferred was commenced and maintained during 1970. Towards the end of the
year the head teachers of Kirkwood Junior Training School and Tuke Junior
Training School and Special Care Unit attended meetings organised by the
Inner London Education Authority to discuss various aspects of the change over.
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