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28
SUPERVISION OF CHILDREN.
War Nurseries.
The opening of the nurseries at Rayners Lane in November, and
Vancouver Road in December so reduced the numbers at the South
Harrow and Buckingham Road nurseries that for a while it was possible
to admit to all four nurseries more than one child from a family and
also the children of mothers engaged only on part-time employment.
By March though increasing applications necessitated a reversion to
the previous practice at all nurseries but that at Vancouver Road. In
February there were still vacancies here while there was a waiting list
of applicants at Kenmore Nursery so for a number of weeks some of
the over-twos awaiting admission at Kenmore were conveyed by Civil
Defence vehicles to Vancouver Road. The extensions at Kenmore
begun in March were not completed for some three months, the opening
being on the 12th June from which date the accommodation was 59.
Evacuation from the district reduced the numbers at most nurseries
in the summer. In August, owing to staffing difficulties Spencer Road
and Headstone Drive nurseries were merged, but for a short time only
because of the outbreak of measles. By September staffing difficulties
were sufficiently acute that it was decided to close Vancouver Road
nursery as there were in any event only small numbers attending there.
It was not reopened until November 6th, a curtailed staff coping with a
slowly growing number of attenders. This nursery, though, has never
justified its opening.
The designation of the senior staff of the nurseries had been that
Miss James was Matron and those in charge of each nursery, Deputy
Matron. In the summer a change was made, Miss James being
designated Matron Superintendent and each of the nurseries was then
in charge of a matron assisted by a deputy.
In February the recommendations of the Rushcliffe Committee as
to the salaries of the staff was adopted.
The average attendances of the nurseries over the year was lowered
by the reduced numbers of children present during the summer months,
more especially August and September. Apart from this period though
and excepting Vancouver Road nursery, the average attendance at each
section at each of the nurseries was well-maintained. Perhaps the
fact that the attendances were uniformly best in the babies sections
was a reflection only of the need of the mothers of these children to go
out to work to supplement their incomes. Infections during the year
had little effect on attendances.
Daily Minder Scheme.
Even less use was made of this scheme during 1944 than in the
previous year, only 3 names were on the register at the end of the year.
The greatest number of guardians in any month who were looking after
children was only 6, the number of children cared for being 6.