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PERSONAL HEALTH
patient clinics were held and five patients were seen by the consultant.
Junior Training schools
Junior training schools were provided under the control of the Health
Department for children who, under Section 57 of the Education Act 1944,
were found to be suffering from a disability of mind of such a nature or to
such an extent as to make them unsuitable for education at a school provided
by the local education authority. The Education (Handicapped Children)
Act 1970 made provision to bring such children within the educational
system, and this was effected on 1st April, 1971.
At the Enfield Junior Training School, there was provision for 144 children
of both sexes, including a small nursery group and a special care unit. All the
children in the special care unit had a dual handicap such as spasticity or other
physical defects, as well as subnormality. The school normally accepted
children up to sixteen years of age but a number of persons over the age of
sixteen years continued in attendance and special provision was made for
them. The majority of those reaching sixteen years of age transferred to the
Adult Training Centre. Routine medical and dental inspections, speech
therapy and physiotherapy, were provided through the School Health
Service. The number on roll at the end of the Spring Term was 122, including
those in the special care unit.
Enfield Society for
Mentally Handicapped
Children
In previous reports, I have commented upon the generosity, enterprise and
co-operation displayed by the Enfield Society for Mentally Handicapped
Children. The Society continued to undertake valuable work on behalf of
handicapped children of all ages and I am happy to record, once again, that
the Health Department continued to enjoy a most cordial relationship with
the Society.
Adult Training Centre
The Adult Training Centre at Claverings Industrial Estate, run on similar
lines to an ordinary factory, has accommodation for 165 trainees over the
age of sixteen years, who are paid a weekly allowance. The scheme of
incentive payments provides a minimum payment to each trainee in a full
week of 50p and a maximum of £2.
The number of trainees on roll on 31st March was 163. There was no waiting
list. Some places were reserved for trainees from the London Boroughs of
Barnet and Haringey and the centre also catered for selected mentally ill
persons recommended to attend a day occupation centre.
The aim of this purpose-built centre has been to train mentally subnormal
persons to become as independent and to lead as full a life as possible. Some
trainees are engaged on assembly work sent to the centre by local firms whilst
others fulfil gardening contracts or work in the fully-equipped laundry
section. The latter handles approximately 6,000 - 7,000 articles of clothing
and linen each week, collected from more than 100 establishments of the
Council. Arrangements were made for a re-organisation of the layout of the
laundry equipment in order to effect more efficient working.
The Education Committee continued to supply two part-time visiting
teachers to provide formal education to a total of seventeen hours per week.
Nearly all trainees received benefit from this service. The scheme by which
twenty selected trainees worked in a local factory under supervision
continued to be successful.
All trainees are medically inspected periodically, the visiting medical officer
also acting in the capacity of Her Majesty's Appointed Factory Doctor.
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