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(iv) the acquisition of a site in Bermondsey on which to provide a new junior centre
with 112 places, an adult training centre for females and one for males (with provision
for industrial training and also residential accommodation for severely subnormal
children).
In addition, special attention was being given to the possibility of obtaining more satisfactory
premises to replace an adult centre for females in south-east London and to acquiring
suitable premises for an additional such centre in south-west London. This programme,
which it is hoped will be completed within five years, will enable more unsatisfactory premises
to be vacated and more places to be provided.
Training of children—Training for children between the ages of five and sixteen is provided
in nine junior training centres which are open during ordinary school hours and are run
as closely as possible on the lines of schools.
Pending the opening of new and larger centres, lack of places has precluded any general
lowering of the minimum age for admission, i.e. five years. As a first step, however, towards
the ultimate aim of accepting children from the age of three years, it has been possible to
lower to four years the admission age at two centres serving west and south-west London,
whilst children of this age may be admitted to other centres in special circumstances.
In furtherance of the Council's intention to provide training for subnormal children at
an early age, specially staffed and equipped units have been set up for this purpose on an
experimental basis in two of the Council's day nurseries. The units were opened towards
the end of 1961 and the results of the experiment are awaited with interest.
Powers are given under the new Act to compel the attendance at training centres of
children of school age who are unsuitable for education at school. The great majority of
parents welcome the opportunity of sending such children to the centres and up to the
end of 1961 it had not been found necessary to resort to legal action to enforce attendance.
Provision has been made in the design of each new junior centre planned for the future
for a special unit for 12 mentally disordered children who suffer from an additional handicap
or have behaviour difficulties which would otherwise render them unsuitable for training
centre attendance. Although it will be some time before the first of these specially designed
units is ready for occupation, it has been possible to adapt vacant accommodation, at one
of the older girls' centres in north-east London, to provide a unit for 12 handicapped
children which was to be opened early in 1962.
Since 1960 a special grant has been made by the Council towards the cost of staffing
a unit for severely subnormal spastic children run by a spastic centre in west London, which
is attended by some London children.
Following the Council's proposal to afford additional relief to the parents of children
attending junior centres, as an experiment four junior centres were kept open as play
centres for four weeks of the 1961 summer holiday period. Although attendances were
somewhat disappointing, this additional service was much appreciated by those who were
able to take advantage of it and it has been decided to continue with the scheme during the
summer holidays in future years. It was not considered practicable to provide special
transport to the play centres and it is clear that difficulty in travelling to such centres prevented
many children from attending. Special attention will accordingly be given, in future,
to the selection of centres as play centres which are easily reached by public transport.
Training of adults—Adult centres provide accommodation for persons from the age of
sixteen, the social training given in the junior centres being continued; the trainees are
encouraged to make the most of their limited capabilities and to achieve a measure of
independence. There is more emphasis on the production of useful articles, carpentry and
other crafts being taught to the older boys and the older girls receiving instruction in
domestic crafts such as cookery, laundry and needlework. On one afternoon a week the
trainees hold their own clubs, in which the activities include table tennis, billiards, playing
their own gramophone records and—for the girls—dancing. Regular sports activities are
also arranged at the boys' centres.
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