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fully reflected in the salary structure which was then agreed and accepted by the Council. There
were also certain site difficulties during the early months involving landscaping and fencing and
considerable damage was caused to the building during one week-end by hooligans.
The Dartford, Bexleyheath and District Society for Mentally Handicapped Children proposed
that an adventure playground sponsored by them should be constructed on the site and to
this end they were prepared to subscribe £2,000. This proposal and the generous offer were
accepted by the Council. The playground will be used by children attending the training centre
and children known to the Society who are in the main those also attending the training centre.
They would be able to play there at weekends and during holiday times under voluntary supervision
arranged by the Society and they would also have the use of part of the centre itself at such
times.
The official opening of the centre by the Mayor, Councillor R. Pope, was on December 16th
1970, which was also the occasion of the Christmas Party.
FALCONWOOD HOSTEL
Falconwood Hostel for 13 mentally and severely mentally handicapped children under 16
years was a new purpose-built hostel situated at The Green, Welling (see plan) and opened in June
by the Mayor, Councillor R. Pope. It was beset at first with problems relating to staff. A matron
and deputy matron had been appointed some months earlier but it was not easy to obtain supporting
staff and when the deputy matron became ill within a week of taking up duty it was clear that
the hostel would not be fully operative in September as at first had been anticipated.
A settling-in period was also to be expected, even more so than in the case of the Marlborough
Training Centre.
The hostel was planned to serve the needs of these children in relation to difficult family
situations as well as their own needs and as much flexibility as possible was introduced so as to
meet the main variations of these needs. Temporary and permanent care, five or seven-day and
week-end care were to be provided. Four of the thirteen beds were on the ground floor for those
who were also physically handicapped and whose needs had been taken into account in the design
of that floor. The Matron's flat is situated on the ground floor and the Deputy Matron's onebedroomed
flat on the first floor. In addition to the Matron and Deputy Matron, one full-time
housemother and part-time domestic workers and assistants were appointed. By the end of the
year 6 children were in residence. It was intended that most of the children would attend the
Marlborough Training Centre including its special care unit.
SHENSTONE JUNIOR TRAINING CENTRE
A decision was required about the future of the Junior Training Centre at Shenstone because,
although its replacement was in the Capital Building Programme for 1971-72, an alternative
proposal referred to in the previous Annual Report was still under consideration. That proposal
was for a Day Unit and Training Centre to be built at Goldie Leigh Hospital to serve jointly the
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