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Discussions between the hospital consultant psychiatrist and Brent officers have taken place and
point to the possibility of establishing a hostel in the Borough to be run on similar lines to the ward
mentioned as a joint hospital/community project.
Guardianship and Informal Foster Care
It remained the position during the year that it was not necessary to make use of the Mental Health
Act provisions in regard to the placing of any person in guardianship.
Informal foster care placements for the severely subnormal with various voluntary organisations,
privately-run homes or foster parents continued on the same lines as in previous years, i.e. about 50
persons were so placed at any one time. The position with regard to availability of such places generally has
not noticeably improved and it remains true that much more needs to be done by local authorities themselves
in the implementation of their powers under the Act to provide hostel accommodation for the
subnormal and severely subnormal.
This Councils one such hostel for males is referred to in the following paragraph. A hostel for 15
females, estimated to cost £85,000, figures in the Capital Works Programme for 1970/71. A good deal of
difficulty was experienced during the year in trying to expedite this urgently needed project. As is so often
the case in the Borough where new undertakings are involved, suitable building sites are very difficult to
find and the search for one for this hostel had not been successful up to the end of the year. A number of
existing properties were also inspected, with a view to adaptations, but for a variety of reasons none of
those looked at was suitable for the purpose. The search goes on.
The usual arrangements for short term care either in hospital or elsewhere were put into effect during
the year so as to give parents some respite from the constant caring for retarded children at home, to allow
for family holidays or to meet some special situation or emergency in the family. Ninety-eight such placements
were made in hospitals and 7 residentially elsewhere, representing an increase of about 20 placements over the
previous year.
Some of the establishments used for placement of mentally handicapped children will, following the
enactment of the Education (Handicapped Children) Act, 1970, become independent educational establishments,
responsibility for maintenance at which will transfer to education authorities on 1st April, 1971. In
general, the provision of purely residential provision for the mentally handicapped (as opposed to special
residential schools for those of school age) will transfer to the new Social Services Department.
"Homelea" Hostel, 191 Willesden Lane
At long last it was possible to appoint a full staff complement, consisting of Superintendent and
his wife (part-time) in addition to a Deputy Superintendent.
Because of the great pressure on the Authority to provide hostel places for mentally handicapped
girls and young women it was decided experimentally to introduce a small number of these into "Homelea",
hitherto entirely reserved for boys. The enthusiasm of the staff (and the boys) soon overcame minor technical
difficulties and by the end of the year Brent had its first "mixed" hostel for the mentally handicapped. It is
to be hoped that the happy experimental stage will become a permanent state of affairs.
Steps have been undertaken to speed up the provision of another hostel, catering for 15—20 male
and female mentally handicapped adults. The matter has become particularly urgent due to the vigorously
pursued policy of the Leavesden Hospital medical staff discussed elsewhere in this report.
Kingsbury Junior Training School
Children and staff continued to benefit from the many advantages this purpose-built school has
to offer. Any minor snags arising from the move into the new premises were eliminated during the year
and the establishment was made ready for the take-over by the Education Authority scheduled to take
place on 1st April 1971.
I view with some misgivings the transfer of responsibilities for teaching and training mentally
handicapped children from Health to Education Departments specifically with regard to provisions for
the very young child. The pre-school section had been specifically designed to meet the special needs of
small babies for continued attention from experienced and sensitive staff in an imaginative and stimulating
environment. This susceptible group of children responded very well to the type of management offered.
Not only was there definite improvement in parental attitudes to their handicapped baby but also marked
developmental progress was noted in the child.
Handicapped children under the age of 2 years will, on 1st April 1971, become a joint responsibility
of the Health and Social Services Departments. Should medical opinion favour management in a day care
placement this will have to be provided in a day nursery. I am concerned that handicapped children may
have to stay at the tail end of the waiting list whilst other children will be given preference on "social"
grounds. Loss of places in the Kingsbury pre-school section also means loss of ancillary services to young
children as, of course, day nurseries do not include physiotherapists or speech therapists on their staff. It
might become necessary to think in terms of special units attached to a day nursery which would admit
children with various types of handicaps.
As to older children the Brent Education Authority have agreed to keep these in the school up
to the age of 19 should this be found to be desirable. This might well ease any possible pressure put on the
presently limited adult training centre facilities.
The school staff look forward eagerly to the appointed day of change-over. They hope at last to
become fully recognised as professional teachers. Their new status should be reflected in much enhanced
salaries thus meeting their constant and often repeated claims.