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In December, 1950, there were 553 on roll and the average daily attendance was
439.
Permanent
Centre
The Minister of Health approved a proposal to adapt a large house, No. 9,
Spencer Park, Wandsworth Common, for use as an occupation centre for juniors to
replace the centre now at Earlsfield Congregational Hall, but shortage of materials
will probably delay the execution of the work.
Students
Eight students (5 women and 3 men) attending the full-time course of training
for occupation centre staff organised by the National Association for Mental Health
each spent six weeks in a London centre as part of their practical training. Centre
and students both benefit from the facilities given.
Inspections
Visits by Inspectors of the Board of Control were paid to all centres during the
year and their reports were generally satifactory. Members of the Health (Mental
Health Sub-) Committee also visited centres in their areas.
Rules for
sales
Rules governing the sale of articles made in the centres were approved.
Open
days
Parents and friends were invited to displays of work and sales of articles made
at the centres. Sales realised £37 2s. 4d. at junior centres, £297 10s. 9d. at elder
boys' centres and £84 11s. 4d. at elder girls' centres. At the elder boys' centres some
apparatus, furniture and toys were also made for the occupation centre service.
Outings
and
holidays
Owing to the absence of adequate outdoor recreation space at the centres, those
attending were again taken by school bus to nearby parks or open spaces approximately
once a fortnight during the summer months when the weather was suitable.
During May a party of 185 children and adults attending the centres, accompanied
by staff, spent two weeks at a holiday camp at Dymchurch, Kent. The Council bore
the expenses of the staff and wholly or partly those of 29 necessitous children. The
holiday was a great success. Letters of thanks were received from parents and the
Director of the Camp expressed his appreciation of the way the party was organised,
and the behaviour of the children. A similar holidav is to take nlace in 1952.
Conveyances
for
children
By the release of two redundant vehicles from another branch of the Council's
service, it was possible to commence in September the conveyance of children to the
Branstone Street centre.
Gifts
Several gifts, including toys and games from America and food parcels from
Australia, were received and distributed to the centres.
Christmas
Parties
Christmas parties and entertainments were arranged for all centres during
December.
SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICE
Organisation
The school health service for the County of London is, with other health services,
for purposes of routine administration, organised on a divisional basis. The
arrangements for the medical inspection and treatment of school children continued
as before and special examinations were held with a view to placing handicapped
children in schools catering for their special needs.
The School Care Committees took their share in the work of supervising the
health and general well-being of the school children. Care Committee representatives
were present at 94 per cent. of the medical inspections and 92 per cent. of the children
needing treatment received it. The number of voluntary care workers is still rising
and has now reached 2,150.
During the year an officer of the Special Services Branch of the Ministry of
Education inspected the school health service and in September the Minister of
Education, having studied the report, sent his congratulations on the good work that
was being done for the health and welfare of London's children through the Council's
school health service. As the service had had time to recover from the effects of the
war and the National Health Service had been established for three years, the
Minister made a number of suggestions which were still under consideration at the
end of the year.