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25 mentally handicapped children and a hostel for a similar number
of mentally handicapped adults and a long stay hostel for exmentally
ill patients are included in the programme of capital projects
for the year 1971/72.
Training Centre for the Mentally Subnormal
The London Borough of Bromley inherited from the Kent
County Council only one training centre for the mentally subnormal.
This was an all age centre providing around 80 places
and was housed in an old building, which, by present day standards,
was unsuitable and inadequate to the need. It was immediately
apparent that an improvement and expansion of day
training facilities for the mentally subnormal must be an urgent
priority. Within a few weeks, two positive steps had been taken
to this end, firstly a suitable site for a new junior training centre
in Beckenham had been allocated by the Council. Secondly a
decision had been made to provide an additional prefabricated
classroom at the Orpington Training Centre. This latter was taken
into use at the beginning of the summer term, 1967, and so enabled
the number of places available at the centre to be increased to
100 and the waiting list was reduced to "special care" children
only.
Owing to several factors outside the Council's control, the
new purpose-built junior training centre, Woodbrook, was not
opened until September, 1969. It is a single storey building providing
5 classrooms, a manual instruction room and a domestic
subjects room, together with a kindergarten and special care unit.
In the design, the special needs of the handicapped child have
been borne in mind and the Borough Architect and his staff are
to be congratulated on providing a building which is both extremely
functional and at the same time presents an attractive
appearance. Although it was designed to accommodate 80 children
there are at the moment just 100 on the register, some of
whom are attending on a part-time basis.
In April, 1971, Woodbrook will pass to the control of the
Education Committee and it can take a proud place in Bromley's
education system.
With the opening of Woodbrook, the Orpington Training
Centre was devoted entirely to adults. Although the nature of the
premises limits activities, much more can be done than formerly
in training and developing the potential of the adult trainee. Suitable
light industrial work is undertaken and social and independence
training form an important part of the curriculum.
The centre accommodates approximately 80 and the work
done there will prepare the trainees to take full advantage of the
up-to-date and extended facilities which will be provided at the