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106
Boarding schools for maladjusted children.
The education department opened two more boarding schools for maladjusted
children during 1951, bringing the total number of children in these five schools to
124. This accounts for only a portion of the ascertained maladjusted children for
by 31st December, 1951, there were in addition 366 children placed in non-Council
boarding schools and another 152 on the waiting list. The care of the child in the
boarding schools is only part of the problem of re-adjustment. If the child is to
return to his home, the family from which he comes, and which was often responsible
for his breakdown, must be ready to receive him and modify its attitude towards him.
To this end the Council has appointed two psychiatric social workers to deal with the
children in the Council's own boarding schools, as the social workers in the clinics are
too heavily occupied to visit the homes of these maladjusted children. This should
materially reduce the time these children have to spend in the boarding school.
This intensive work with the parents cannot be provided for the other boarding
special schools (more than 90) to which the Education Officer's department sends
maladjusted children. Nevertheless every effort is made to keep in touch with the
homes through the children's care organisation, and most of the children return to
their Child Guidance Units during the holiday periods.
Bredinghurst This is the only school for maladjusted children at which a psychotherapist is
employed. He is Dr. R. W. Shields and the following is an extract from his report:—
" In January of this year the new cottage was opened providing us with
adequate room for psychotherapy for the first time. There is now a room for the
psychiatric social worker, a room for group treatment and one for the therapist .
"During the year 29 boys in all have been seen by the therapist for longer
or shorter periods. In January there were 15 under treatment and in December
there were 19. I have attended only five sessions a week and this limited amount
of time has meant that in certain cases therapy has of necessity been inadequate.
On a number of occasions I have come in on a Saturday afternoon to see parents.
"In general we have had confirmation of our earlier opinion that the best
results are obtained with children who are placed in psychotherapy as soon as
they arrived at Bredinghurst. Also, of course, successful treatment is more
likely with younger children and those with average or high I.Qs.
"The group system continues to justify itself as a means of exposing a child's
phantasies. It is of value with the introverted, nervous child and with many
of those with lower I.Qs.
"The close liaison between the cottage, teaching and psychiatric staff has
been maintained and the regular conferences now held on Wednesday mornings
enables each member of the staff to get a broader picture of the child and a
deeper understanding of his particular problem. It has meant, too, that we are
able to work together more adequately as a team, since the Wednesday morning
meeting takes the form of a case conference."
Dromenagh Arrangements were made temporarily with North West Metropolitan Regional
Hospital Board to provide a psychiatrist, who visited Dromenagh school.
Buckshaw
House
Arrangements were made for a psychiatrist to be provided by Dorset County
Council to visit Buckshaw House.
Problems of
boarding
school care
The education officer arranged a most interesting meeting with representatives
of nearly all the child guidance units in London to discuss the problems of boarding
school care and it is now planned to hold a regular series of meetings to discuss
solutions to the many difficulties. The Ministry of Education committee on the
care of maladjusted children in boarding schools will have many difficult problems
to discuss and during the year, evidence for presentation to this committee was
prepared.