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Apart from the catering facilities, the nursery unit
is self-contained and has room for 30 children. The
emphasis in this unit is upon toilet and social training.
Children have their meals in the unit, as supervision
of their feeding habits is considered to be an integral
and essential part of their training. For a similar
reason there are independent toilets attached.
There are three other rooms for the junior, intermediate
and senior classes. The selection of the
children for the various classes is based on a compromise
between age and ability.
There is a large assembly hall which is also used as
a dining room for these three classes and for physical
activities. The only apparatus provided for this, at
present, is a climbing frame. A speech therapist
attends the school for one session a week to treat a
few selected cases and to instruct the staff in the
constant use of speech therapy techniques.
The 24 place special care unit was added to the
school in 1964. By catering for the very severely
handicapped children during the day the families of
these children are able to continue to cope with the
care of them at home and the demand for hospital
beds is thus reduced. The unit consists of two rooms
and special toilet facilities. One of the rooms is
allocated to the restless and over-active children,
some of whom are psychotic. These children by their
behaviour would disrupt the ordinary classes in the
school. The other room is devoted to the care of
children with additional physical handicaps, principally
cerebral palsy, and thus require a considerable
degree of nursing care.
A physiotherapist attends for one session weekly to
give treatment and to instruct the staff in the correct
handling of these children. The nursery unit has two
assistant supervisors and one general duties assistant.
Junior, intermediate and senior classes have one
assistant supervisor each. The special care unit has
two assistant supervisors and two general duties
assistants for the 24 children.
Of the 107 cases on the register at the end of 1965,
52 were Hounslow cases, 53 from the Borough of
Ealing and two from the Borough of Brent. There
was a total waiting list of 23 cases.
Hanworth Junior Training School Bear Road
Hanworth
This is a temporary building which was erected as a
day nursery during the war to which has been added
a large assembly hall and a small special care unit
section. Sixty places are provided at the school, and
24 places at the special care unit. The principles of
training are the same in this school but there are the
following differences.
The nursery unit is only large enough for 16
children, staffed by one assistant supervisor and one
general duties assistant. There is a junior, intermediate
and senior class as at Isleworth. Unfortunately, during
the last year no speech therapist has been available to
this school, but it is hoped that one will shortly be
forthcoming.
The purpose built special care unit at this school
was the first in the country and opened in 1957. It was
a pioneer project sponsored by the Middlesex County
Council and the local parents' association. Originally
the unit consisted of one room but since its inception
the use of a neighbouring room has been necessary
and the grouping of patients is as in the special care
unit at Isleworth, although the toilet facilities are
inadequate. A physiotherapist attends this unit also
for one session a week.
In view of the limited accommodation, physical
activities are curtailed and no special apparatus has
been provided except in the garden, but the school
which is planned to replace these premises will have
full facilities.
A progressive attitude to more advanced forms of
social training is undertaken and shopping expeditions,
short 'bus journeys and the making of telephone calls
are additional to the normal syllabus. The supervisor
also conducts vigorous efforts in special social
activities such as drama, open days and sports days
when parents are encouraged to attend. A tour of
London and the 'Tower' have been organised and
other similar instructional projects are planned.
At the end of 1965 there were 93 children on the
register, 34 from this borough, 20 from the Borough
of Richmond, 35 from Surrey County Council and
four from other local authorities. There were 22
children on the waiting list.
Certain of the children who have attained the age
of 16 years are retained at the junior training schools
and help in the kitchen or in the nurseries. They are
designated as 'orderlies' and are paid monetary
rewards varying from 8s Od to 40s Od a week. Orderlies
do not exceed one to every 30 places.
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