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81
3. Provision of apparatus such as White Sticks, Watches and
Games;
4. Rehabilitation of the newly blind;
5. Care and education of blind children up to the age of 7;
6. Higher education of the blind;
7. Provision of Homes and Hostels.
84. Sunshine Homes Nursery Schools are found in Middlesex,
Warwickshire, Shropshire, Lancashire and Glamorgan. These
schools look after blind babies and children up to the age of 7 or,
if a child has other handicaps, to the age of 9. Schools for blind
children with other handicaps are situated at Condover, near
Shrewsbury (12-16), and Rushton, near Kettering (7-12 years).
Secondary Grammar School education is provided for girls at
Chorley Wood College and for boys at Worcester College for the
Blind.
85. Heathersett Vocational Assessment Centre for Blind Adolescents
at Reigate, Surrey, is an establishment for the further education
of handicapped persons. The Centre endeavours to assess the
interests and abilities of students with a view to future training and
employment. The Rehabilitation Centres at Torquay and
Bridgnorth are run by the Royal National Institute for the Blind.
The Institute has 11 Homes for the Blind providing residential and
holiday accommodation in various parts of the country and 3 hostels
in London, 2 for workers and the other for students.
REGISTRATION AND INSPECTION OF OLD PERSONS'
HOMES
86. Section 37 of the National Assistance Act, 1948, imposes a
duty on Local Welfare Authorities to register and inspect any
establishment, the sole or main object of which is the provision of
accommodation, whether for reward or not, for disabled persons
or for the aged or for both. There were 23 such registered establishments
in the London Borough of Bromley at 31st March, 1966.
Regular visits have been made to all these establishments to ensure
that proper standards of care are maintained.
PROTECTION OF PROPERTY
87. Section 48 of the National Assistance Act, 1948, provides for
the protection by the local authority of property of persons
admitted to hospital or residential accommodation where it appears
that there is a danger of loss or damage and where no arrangements
are made, and it is often necessary to place movable property in
store. In addition, the department sometimes needs to store effects
of deceased persons. Action had to be taken in 5 cases during the
year.