View report page

of additional centres to cater for the increasing demand from both children and
adults ;
(ii) provision of special care units for children who require attention because of
physical handicap or other difficulty ;
(iii) reduction in the general age of admission to training centres from five to three
years ;
(iv) provision of some form of holiday minding service or the opening of centres for
longer periods, to afford additional relief for parents of children attending the centres;
(v) introduction of sheltered industrial work for both men and women attending
adult training centres, the expansion of industrial training centres and the introduction
of a system of payments for work done;
(vi) provision of a part-time service at adult training centres, or otherwise, for older
handicapped persons who are unable, unwilling, or unsuitable to attend a full-time
training centre; and
(vii) an increase in the number of 'home teachers' and the frequency of their visits.
Premises—Developments since the Council's proposals were formulated include the
opening in Hackney of a third purpose built junior centre with places for 120 children,
the opening in Wandsworth and Greenwich of two additional industrial centres with
places for 126 youths and men, the opening of additional centres for older girls and women
in Islington and Wandsworth with a total of 80 extra places, and the opening of centres for
older girls and women in Bethnal Green, Stepney and Hammersmith in specially adapted
premises to replace centres in unsatisfactory church hall premises. By the end of 1964
the number of centres had increased to 24 and the total number of available places to 767
for juniors, 365 for older girls and women and 381 for youths and men, a total of 1,513
places.
The provision of new centres has been hampered by difficulties in acquiring suitable
sites but at the end of 1964 the following projects were in hand :
(i) Erection of two new junior centres each with 112 places in Greenwich and Islington,
which had reached an advanced stage of construction.
(ii) Replacement of older girls' centre in unsatisfactory premises in Greenwich by a
centre in specially adapted premises ready for occupation in January 1965.
(iii) Provision of a new industrial centre in Hackney to provide training for 120 youths
and men—detailed plans approved and building work about to commence.
(iv) Provision, on a site in Bermondsey, of a new junior centre with 112 places, a female
adult centre and one for youths and men, including an industrial workshop—
scheme approved and detailed plans under consideration.
Special care units— The Council's first special care unit was brought into use in a specially
adapted part of the Bethnal Green centre in 1962. The unit provides accommodation
for 12 severely subnormal children aged 5 to 16 who are also severely physically handicapped
or of such a restless or aggressive behaviour that they could not be accepted for admission
to an ordinary junior training centre. A more generous staffing ratio is provided, which
enables the children to be given a greater amount of individual attention than is possible
in a training centre. Attendances are very good and the results achieved are most
encouraging. A few children improve sufficiently to enable them to be transferred to
junior training centres.
It is the intention that special care units should form part of all new purpose built
junior centres and plans have been approved for the addition of these units to the three
existing purpose-built centres.
102