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that at least 75 per cent. of the cases upon the roll of each centre are those who have
been placed under statutory supervision by the Council. Attendance ordinarily is
restricted to cases under 16 years of age, but an extension of age to 18 may be
approved in special cases.
17. The training given at the centres consists mainly of simple physical exertises,
games, singing, and elementary manual occupations such as building with
bricks, raffia basket-making, boot and brass cleaning etc.
Occupations.
18. The centres are under the direction of four district committees appointed
by the London Association, and each committee includes at least one member of the
Mental Hospitals Committee. The centres are inspected from time to time by the
Council's officers.
Representation
of
Council on
Centre Committees.
20. The use of occupation centres is as yet in an experimental stage, but it
can be said that, even with the tentative provision which alone it has been possible
to make so far, apparent benefit has resulted to those defectives attending, and
attendance has often given relief to distressed parents. Attendance may sometimes
defer the necessity for removal to an institution. The principal defect of the present
arrangements is that attendances are far from regular, even among the limited
Limitations.
number tor whom facilities for attendance can be secured. This is partly due to the
difficulty of conducting children who live at a distance. The provision of guides
might help, and at the end of March, 1924, the possibility of this was under
consideration.
Guides.
Guardianship.
21. On 31st December, 1923, only eight males and seven females were maintained
under guardianship. Of these, five males and one female were in village
homes in Sussex, placed through the agency of the Guardianship Society of Brighton.
Of the remainder, two males and two females were under the guardianship of parents
or near relatives; these were exceptional cases in which it was found that care and
control could be provided at the defective's own home, if monetary assistance were
given, and where the only alternative, apart from institution care, was poor relief.
Cases under
guardianship.
Provision of care in institutions.
(a) Accommodation under contract.

Accommodation
in
institutions
under
contract