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24
Neasden Special Care Unit
This establishment admirably fulfilled its purpose in providing overspill day care for multiple
handicapped children for whom there was no provision at Kingsbury Junior Training School. Average
number on roll at this 24 place unit was about 18 thus proving a real need for additional places to the
36 provided in the Special Care Unit at Kingsbury Junior Training School.
Although these severely damaged children's major need is nursing and medical care, as much emphasis
as possible is put on actual teaching. The background of the Unit's professional staff is predominately nursing
and nursery training. They feel keenly their lack of teaching expertise; to help them and the children it
was arranged for the Deputy Principal of Kingsbury Junior Training School to attend on one day each week
whenever it was possible to spare her from her own establishment. These visits proved to be most successful
and of much benefit to the staff and children as this enthusiastic and well qualified person was able to demonstrate
and teach modern techniques and methods. It is envisaged for staff to attend special short training
courses at the Clinical Psychology Department at Lea vesden Hospital to help them further in their work with
the children in their care.
The Holiday Centre
For the fourth year a "Summer School" was provided for some 2 dozen mentally handicapped
children for four weeks during the month of August. The event took place at Kingsbury Junior Training
School as in the previous year. The parents again expressed their appreciation of the facility which allowed
them to devote more time to their other children home during school holidays and gave the handicapped
child ample play facilities in the attractive building and grounds of the Training School.
The person in charge was a member of the school staff but all other personnel were young
volunteers, most of them male and female students to whom contact with handicapped children proved to
be a unique experience and who managed to enjoy themselves while doing a worthwhile job. It is hoped that
this popular scheme will be adopted by the Education Department who next year will be the responsible
authority.
Summer Holiday Camps
As in previous years adjoining Authorities at whose adult training centres our trainees attend,
collaborated most kindly in including some of them in their arrangement for summer holiday camps. This
Department was able to help with the provision of attendants and with the financing of such holidays for
31 Brent trainees who were required to contribute to the cost on an assessed basis.
Separate arrangements were made for the residents of "Homelea" Hostel, who, under the supervision
of the Superintendent and his Deputy, spent an enjoyable holiday in flatlets at Blackpool.
Adult Training Centre
The arrangements which were instituted in 1965 for Brent to have the use of a number of adult
training centre places in the Boroughs of Hounslow, Hillingdon and Ealing fell due for review in 1970 at
the expiration of the original prescribed period of five years. The London Borough of Ealing, owing to
its own pressures for places, found it necessary to ask us to make other arrangements for our three
remaining trainees with them and it was possible to do so for this small number. Eighty other Brent persons
continued to attend Acton Lodge and Ranton's Centres in Hounslow and Uxbridge Centre in Hillingdon.
The Borough's own temporary adult training centre at Neasden had its first full year of operation
and despite the limitations imposed by the old unsuitable building, a generally very successful year it has
proved; an achievement due in no small measure to the enthusiasm and devotion of the staff. A constant
and varied flow of work went through the centre which with a number of social, recreational and basic
academic activities contributed to a balanced training programme, With an eye to future development in
this field, the Senior Instructor/Supervisor and one of the Trainee-Instructors were seconded in September on
the one year training courses at Bournemouth and Chiswick respectively.
Planning for the new 120-place Training Centre at Stonebridge continued, and at the end of the year
had, after a number of consultations with the Department of Health and Social Security, reached the stage
where it was anticipated that loan sanction and tenders for the work would be to hand in the early part of
1971. The actual commencement of work will depend on the completion of the new Craven Park Health
Centre, to which the Stonebridge Clinic facilities will transfer so as to permit the conversion of the Clinic
premises as part of the training centre project.
Social Clubs for the Mentally Subnormal
Two such clubs, both sponsored by voluntary bodies, continued in successful operation during the
year, viz:—
The "Bonanza Club" (by the Brent Society for Mentally Handicapped Children) in the hall at Grove
Park Special School, N.W.9 each Saturday afternoon; and
The "Neasden Teenagers' Club" (by the Parents' Association) in the Gibbons Social Centre,
Gibbons Road, N.W.10.
The Brent Society for Mentally Handicapped Children (Willesden and Wembley Areas)
Apart from the function referred to above, the Society has continued its very valuable work in
support of the persons and families it was formed to serve, where necessary in liaison with officers of the
Department. It is with great appreciation that I have to record that in addition to providing a sum of
£1,000 for extra outdoor sports equipment and an internal communications system at Kingsbury Junior
Training School, which was installed just before the School opened in 1969, the Society further undertook
at a cost of almost £400 the conversion of a small storeroom into a kitchen for the more convenient
preparation of meals required for children in the Special Care Unit at the School. This latter facility was
completed in 1970 and has proved to be a great boon.