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SUMMARY
The Psychiatric Services aim towards continuing help through states of development,
decline and crisis centred apon the individual in need; to include his family at home; groups of
individuals with their agents in Centres; and when an individual needs to go away, the help to him
and his family to be maintained until, and after, he comes home.
Training Centres
During the year all children who were unsuitable for education but capable of benefiting
from training were admitted to the Junior Training Centre. This is not a place where children are
just kept occupied and amused but training is given in an acceptable, sympathetic and constructive
manner. All children have progressed happily according to their own ability. One boy, handicapped
by receiving no training prior to his arrival in England, is learning well. Plans for a trial period
and possible transfer to an E.S.N, school have been made for 1966.
Unfortunately, some children are resistant and difficult in regard to training of any kind and
these, owing to lack of room and facilities, were unable to be admitted. These children provide
extremely heavy work for parents owing to the special care and attention required and also their
increasing weight and awkwardness. Many, therefore, have to go into residential institutions in
order to receive the necessary care.
We look forward hopefully to having one day new buildings and more staff with facilities
for caring for these children in a Special Care Unit and to better facilities for those already in the
Centre.
The Adult Training Centre in its fine new building in North Birkbeck Road started the year
with 76 male trainees but a week later 43 trainees of both sexes were transferred from the Wanstead
and Loughton centres, thus changing it to a mixed centre. This gave the adult females a much
wider range of activities than is possible in the Junior Centre.
Soon after the transfer from Essex to the new Borough on 1st April it became apparent that
the number of people needing help and training at the above centre was more than the centre had
been planned for. (This experience is in line with that throughout the country). The staff themselves
adapted one of the cloakrooms into a classroom for the lower grade of trainees and on 7th
September 1965 a special unit was started in the new classroom. This allowed the admission of
another 14 trainees from the waiting list. The numbers were then standing at 133 in this 100-place
centre.
During August employment was found for two of our best male trainees, one in a factory and
the other in gardening for the Council and it is pleasing to report that they are both still in the
same employment.
During the year a high standard of work was made and sold in the handicraft workrooms,
including woodwork, basketwork, rugs, bath mats, tablecloths and pillow slips. Light work from
local factories all through the year has also been done. Money earned by the trainees is paid on
an ability and attendance basis.
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