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Brentford Adult Training Centre Commerce Road
Brentford
This centre was started as an experiment in 1960.
A group of subnormal trainees were placed in a local
plastics factory under the supervision of instructors
employed by the Middlesex County Council. This
was intended as a 'stepping stone' into industry, and
as an effort to integrate the subnormal into a normal
environment. This experiment started with only six
trainees and, because of its apparent success, within
a year this number was increased to 20 and subsequently
to 50. This larger number tended to defeat
the original aim (the integration with normal industrial
life) by creating a focus on subnormality. The
numbers have now been reduced to 35 and at this size
the centre serves a good and useful purpose although
it is still considered to be too large for the true aims
of such a scheme.
During 1965,13 trainees left the adult centres to
take up employment direct. In addition four left to
undertake further training at the Industrial Therapy
Organisation (Thames) Limited. This organisation
accepts for rehabilitation and training both subnormal
and mentally ill patients and has a very close link with
the Ministry of Labour and the disablement rehabilitation
officer, which facilitates trainees obtaining
employment. After a relatively short period of training
with this organisation it is hoped that subnormal
trainees will be able to obtain employment in open
industry.
Altogether 18 persons from the borough were
admitted to the Industrial Therapy Organisation in
1965 and eight left to take up employment.
The trainees at the adult training centres are paid
monetary rewards as an incentive to regular attendance
and good work. The weekly rate of pay varies
from 8s Od to 40s Od, and the total amount per trainee
should not exceed an average of 20s Od per head at
Acton Lodge, or 30s Od at Brentford Centre. The
manager of the centre is responsible for assessing the
payment which is based on the ability and aptitude of
each trainee. It is anticipated that the income from
work undertaken at Acton Lodge and Brentford
Centre during the year will be approximately £8,500
and £3,200 respectively.
Visitors to Junior Training Schools and Adult
Training Centres
The schools and centres, particularly the purpose-
built ones, had many visitors during 1965.
On ten occasions individual representatives or
delegations from other countries inspected one or
more of the schools and centres.
These visitors came from America, Germany, Hong
Kong, Ireland, Mauritius, New Zealand, Norway and
Sweden, and the visits were usually arranged at the
request of the Ministry of Health.
There were many visits by council members,
medical officers of health and senior officers of other
local authorities. Some who contemplated building
similar centres were accompanied by architects.
A considerable number of doctors, including some
from the hospital service, mental welfare officers,
social workers and other professional people also
found interest in the schools and centres.
The borough is anxious to co-operate in the training
of social workers and during 1965 received about 80
college students to observe the work of the mental
health establishments. Fifteen doctors studying either
for the Diploma in Public Health or the Diploma in
Child Health each spent half-a-day at the schools and
centres during the year.
Holiday Camps for the Mentally Subnormal
Before the reorganisation of local government in
London, the Middlesex County Council had made
preliminary arrangements for holiday camps to take
place in the summer for trainees at its adult training
centres and junior training schools. The staff of the
London Borough of Hounslow completed the arrangements
for the two camps for adults, and another
borough acted similarly for the children's camp.
Adults
Separate parties of 90 women, including ten
Hounslow residents, and 88 men, including seven
Hounslow residents, spent 11 and 10 days respectively
at the St Mary's Bay Holiday Centre Romney Marsh
Kent in August and September. This is a hutted centre
designed mainly for school parties, and in general the
facilities are adequate. Coaches conveyed the parties
from the adult training centres in Middlesex direct to
and from the holiday centre.
Staff acting as leaders and escorts provided by
the participating boroughs, together with three volunteers,
two from the Community Service Volunteers
and one from the Hounslow Youth Council, did
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