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Although the Cerebral Palsy children will have their own wing
they will now be able to mix with the other children and share as
fully as possible in the life of the school as a whole. This is particularly
desirable in the case of such severely handicapped children
whose opportunities are inevitably very limited.
The work of the Unit has gone smoothly throughout the year,
largely owing to a devoted and loyal staff whom I should like to
thank for their support and interest in often difficult circumstances."
CHILD GUIDANCE CLINIC.
Dr. W. P. Gurassa, Consultant Psychiatrist, and Medical Director of
the Ilford Child Guidance Clinic, writes as follows:-
"This has been a year with a number of staff changes. Miss
Barton, our senior Psychiatric Social Worker left in June after 6 years
to take up an appointment at a teaching Hospital. She had established
many important contacts in the community, and her valued services
cannot easily be replaced. In addition, Miss Baker (Mrs. Hyde) another
Psychiatric Social Worker, who was beginning to establish herself
in the Clinic, and make good contacts with a number of mothers,
married and left to have her own baby. Finally, in August, Miss
Folkart, Child Psycho-Therapist, working at the Clinic for several
years also left to take up an appointment at a post-graduate Training
Centre, and this has left a gap which will be difficult to fill because
of the shortage of trained Therapists.
We have been fortunate in being able to replace the two
Psychiatric Social Workers and welcome Miss O'Hare and Mrs.
Benjamin, who have recently started with us. Miss O'Hare is a very
experienced Psychiatric Social Worker, who comes to child guidance
from the Mental Hospital field, where, in addition to routine social
work she has had teaching experience in connection with London
University. Mrs. Benjamin has come straight to us from completing
her training at the London School of Economics, having previously
had valuable experience as a teacher, and as a Social Worker in a
Mental Hospital.
During the year we have been pleased to have a number of
overseas visitors who have wanted to see the type of work carried
on in English Guild Guidance Clinics. In addition, we learned something
from them about the Social Services in other countries. We have
also had a student Educational Psychologist, and a student from the
Institute of Education, attending and assisting in the work of the
Clinic.