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28
which had to be paid by the Association for premises used as occupation centres.
The grant in respect of the "Agnes Western" centre was at the rate of £143 a year;
the extra cost of its development to whole-day use was met from voluntary sources.
Payment to the Willesden Association for the use of their centre at Kensal Green
was made at the rate of £5 a year for each London case received there.
Results.
18. During 1926 the work of the centres proceeded satisfactorily. Efforts were
made to sustain and improve attendance with some success. There was a noticeable
improvement in the children who attended at the centres, and their parents cooperated
well with the supervisors. The children's handwork improved in quality
and it was possible to effect sales of work at most of the centres. Singing, toy bands,
games, etc., are carried on at each centre, and definite training is given in light
domestic duties and in hygiene.
Attendances.
19. The attendance at occupation centres of cases approved by the Council,
though it showed during 1926 an average increase of 9 over the average for 1925,
still, at the end of the year, left something to be desired. No doubt better attendance
could be effected if more guides were provided, as very few parents, however willing,
are able to give up the greater part of a morning or afternoon to accompany their
children to and from a centre ; but it is questionable how far the further expenditure
which would thus be entailed would be justified by final results.
Conclusions.
20. It would seem that the provision of occupation centres can do much to assist
children who are the subjects of statutory supervision; but the cost is somewhat high
(say, £15 103. a year for each case dealt with—taking the average of actual attendances),
having regard to the improbability that, in the absence of facilities for attendance
at an occupation centre, the more costly alternative of institutional care would
necessarily have to be resorted to for most of the cases who do attend. Without
doubt, the relief afforded by occupation centres to overtaxed parents is appreciated,
though the Act of course makes provision primarily for the benefit of defectives
and not of the relatives who are responsible for caring for defectives while they
are able to do so. So long as occupation centres are to do real good, it seems that
a number of small centres, conveniently placed for the attendance of individual cases
and making provision for individual care in small classes, is necessary; this need
contra-indicates what otherwise might be the more economical possibility of fewer
and larger units, centralised, at which work could be done on a larger scale at a
diminished cost per head.
Continuance
of arrangement.
21. The arrangement for the provision of occupation centres, is to be
continued during 1927.
Use of
guardianship.
Guardianship.
22. During 1926, the use of guardianship as a means of providing suitable
care and control for certain defectives was further developed. Experience has shown,
however, that in many cases detained in institutions who have improved so much
that care under the supervision of an individual guardian may be beneficial, possibly
as a stage towards yet further relief from personal control under the provisions
of the Act, it is inadvisable to apply immediately for varying orders providing for
guardianship, but that it is wiser to arrange that the defective concerned shall, in the
first place, proceed on leave of absence, with a view to guardianship later on if he
or she should prove suitable. The advantage of this tentative step is that it permits
readily of recall to institutional care if the experiment of personal guardianship
does not in fact give the result which was anticipated.
Number of
cases under
guardianship
23. During the year, 13 additional cases were placed under guardianship.
On 31st December, 1926,21 males and 19 females were maintained under guardianship.
Of these, 11 males and 2 females were in village homes in Sussex, placed through the
agency of the Guardianship Society of Brighton; 2 males and 11 females were in
institutional homes in or near London; and 8 males and 6 females were under the
guardianship of parents or near relatives. (See Annual Report for 1925, Vol. II., p. 33.)