View report page

28
under Varying Orders to Institutional Care, and in three cases the
Orders were discharged and the patients transferred to Friendly Care.
Supervision.
There are 132 mental defectives under statutory supervision in
their own homes in this area. A number removed during the war are
still untraceable, and some are still evacuated to other areas. A fair
percentage of the cases are being absorbed into unskilled employment.
All the cases are visited at varying intervals, and reports filed,
helpful advice being given with regard to their management, training
etc. It is very rare that parents or relatives show any resentment to
these visits.
Occupation Centre.
The whole-day sessions at the Occupation Centre, with the
provision of a hot midday meal, are being satisfactorily continued.
A conveyance is provided to facilitate the attendance of a large number
of the defectives. There are 26 on the Register, with an average daily
attendance of 20 of varying ages and of both sexes. Handwork of all
types form the main part of the curriculum, and all articles made are
sold. In some instances work is taken home for completion. More
orders are received than can be accepted owing to the difficulty of
obtaining the necessary material, which difficulty also restricts more
variation in the handicrafts which could otherwise be taught. A
certain amount of physical training is given daily together with a
small amount of domestic training incurred in connection with the
preparation and clearance of tables before and after the midday meal.
The meal is conveyed to the Centre, from a nearby Centre which
supplies the School Dinners, in hot metal containers, and is varied
daily. In suitable weather outdoor games and also simple gardening
instruction form part of a day's occupation. Each defective also
assists, at the closing of the Centre each day, in the orderly clearing
of tables and storing away of their work. The Annual Seaside Outing,
by coach, was resumed this year, when a very happy and successful
day was enjoyed at Walton-on-the-Naze.
Licence, Discharge and After-care.
Out of 17 defectives (7 males and 10 females) granted licence
during the year, 3 were recalled to institutional care, 9 are working
and doing fairly well, 4 are residing satisfactorily with their parents,
1 girl married. Three were discharged from the operation of the M.D.
Acts. Occasional visits are paid to all cases discharged from orders
and still within this area. All removals are notified to the respective
areas.