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centre gives her services.
Day Centres
There is a Council day centre for the mentally ill and two others administered by a
voluntary organisation in the borough. Their aim and purpose is to provide a meeting place
where patients who live at home can obtain occupational and educational therapy. Patients are
able to discuss with mental health social workers their personal problems and difficulties.
An incidental object of the day centres is to provide some relief to relatives from the care
of mentally ill persons. The patients attend for the whole day on five days a week and are
provided with a midday meal and light refreshments.
The day centre for psycho-geriatrics is now open on three days a week, an extra day being
arranged this year.
The Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association operate two day centres for the mentally ill.
During this year, one of their centres transferred to premises leased by the Council and which
became vacant following curtailment of Civil Defence activities. In addition to the grant made
by the Council these premises have been made available free of rent and maintenance costs to
the Association.
Junior Training School
Construction of the new junior training school began mid-year and completion is expected
by the end of 1969.
The centre will provide training places for 95 mentally severely sub-normal children of
school age, plus a special unit for 20 children suffering from physical as well as mental
handicap. The accommodation to be provided will include assembly hall, 7 class rooms, 3 rooms
for the special care unit, a nursery, handicraft room and domestic science room. There will
also be recreational facilities including playground, grassed area and children's flower garden.
During the year the Government made known i ts intent ion to transfer the responsibility for
the education and training of mentally sub-normal children from the Department of Health and
Social Security to the Department of Education and Science. Photographs of junior trainees
activities are facing this page.
Adult Training Centres
There are two centres in the borough for training sub-normal adults, one being an
industrial centre for males and the other comprising a senior group for females aged 16 and
and over with an adolescent group of both sexes aged 13 plus.
At these centres social and work training are given. The majority are so handicapped as
not to be able to take up outside employment, but the introduction to working conditions and
routine gives sufficient support and self-confidence to enable some of the less severely
handicapped to take up open employment.
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