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planned in Bedfont which when complete may be
designated for mentally ill patients and Wood Lane
Hostel would then be used for subnormality, but a
final decision on this point has not been made.
Considerable difficulty was met in obtaining suitable
staff which delayed the opening of this hostel, but
on December 1st, a resident warden and his wife, who
acts as housekeeper, took up their duties, and it is
hoped in the new year to start admitting patients.
Future Projects
1. The Hanworth Junior Training School is about
to be replaced by a larger purpose-built school at
Main Road, Hanworth. The new school will have a
large assembly hall equipped with a stage and with a
variety of physical training apparatus. To the main
school will be attached a large nursery unit for 30
children who will be accommodated in two classrooms,
which will have its own covered play area and
toileting facilities.
There are four other classrooms each large enough
for 15 children and an additional practical training
room where domestic science classes can be held.
The 24 place special care unit will have two large
rooms with special toilet facilities and a covered
play area. A small additional room has been
added to the original plan for this unit and it is
intended that efforts be made to teach a very small
group of children who, although of relatively high
intelligence, are very active and restless and cannot,
therefore, be managed in an ordinary class. It is hoped
that by trying to utilise their intelligence, their
behaviour may thereby improve.
These plans are at an advanced stage, and it is
hoped that the school may be ready for occupation
in 1967.
2. A Weekly Boarding Unit on the same site at
Main Road, Hanworth. A 12 place unit is planned
as being the smallest unit compatible with reasonable
cost. Such a unit is considered to be the first residential
need of a community service for subnormal children.
Many parents are not prepared or able to accept
total care for their subnormal children, and the
children themselves are not yet ready for total
separation from their families. A weekly boarding
unit is thus considered to be a good compromise. It
provides great help to the families and yet preserves
the family ties and interest and enables both child and
parent to undergo a phase of 'emotional weaning'.
The age range of children in this unit would be from
4 to 12 years and the children would all attend
the junior training school daily.
3. A Full-time Residential Unit for Children. The
needs for such a unit are more limited. Either the
children are very severely handicapped and therefore
require full—time hospital care, or are considered too
young to be retained in an ordinary children's home.
Consequently the need in this respect is thought to be
for older children whose sub-normality becomes
more apparent with increasing age who nevertheless
do not need hospital diagnostic or therapeutic aids
and whose parents or relatives for one reason or
another are unable to look after them at home.
A site is being sought and this may dictate the
size of the unit which would be for not more than
12 children of both sexes aged from 8 to 15 years.
General comment—It is considered strongly that
the success of community services for children will
depend largely upon adequate and suitable residential
hospital facilities being available locally. Parents will
usually resist and resent the transfer of their children
to large and remote hopsitals and the need is for a
small children's hospital unit within or very near to
the area it serves. Such a unit would best be attached
to a paediatric unit where diagnostic facilities are
available. The proximity of such a unit to the homes
of the children concerned is considered to be the all
important factor, as only thus can close family ties
and the emotional equilibrium of the parents be
maintained. The children would also benefit as
frequent visiting would tend to prevent the
'depersonalisation' which is liable to occur in large
and remote institutions.
4. Part of the present building on the Acton Lodge
site at London Road Brentford is outmoded,
consisting of a series of small rooms, which are
unsuitable for modern techniques of practical
training. It is, therefore, planned to replace this by
two linked buildings. One of these will be a three
storied block. On the ground floor will be a small
training laundry, on the middle floor a training room
and a small classroom, and on the top floor a
domestic science unit. The other building will consist
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