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OUR SPECIAL SCHOOLS
Holly Court School for Educationally Subnormal Pupils
17.7.1 It is no coincidence that the Senior Assistant Medical Officer who undertakes
the majority of ascertainment examinations is also the school medical officer. This
arrangement has meant the development of a more personal approach, especially for the
parents of younger 'backward' children, who are invited to discuss their problems at
special clinics. At the school leaving stage close links are established with the mental
health social workers and it is possible to offer sheltered employment at the industrial
centre at Fitzroy Road should the school leaver be unable to take up normal employment.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt School for Physically Handicapped Pupils
17.7.2.1 F.D.R. has a proud record and its staff are to be congratulated on the age range
and extent of handicaps for which they provide.lt is particularly useful that the Principal
Medical Officer (Schools), widely experienced in the field of handicapped children, personally
acts as school medical officer to this school. It has become a truism that handicaps
rarely come singly, and the opportunity is taken to review the needs of all the
children regularly. Their vision, for example, is tested by Mr. Peter Gardiner, one of the
Authority's consultant ophthalmologists. His findings are of sufficient interest to be
written up separately by him for publication in the professional press.
17.7.2.2 We are fortunate enough to have Dr. Suzannah Davidson from the Child Guidance
Training Centre attending regularly to give psychiatric support in the school. This link
with a neighbourhood child guidance service has been particularly valuable.
17.7.2.3 The introduction of a full-time Health Department social worker to help at
Franklin Delano Roosevelt and John Keats(Delicate)Schools, proved to be very successful
and served to satisfy some hitherto unfulfilled needs. An account of the social
worker's own views of her role in the schools and avenues for possible development in
the future is given below.
John Keats School for Delicate Pupils
17.7.3 It is perhaps the wide terms of reference which can be contained in the recommendation
'Day school for the Delicate' which makes the medical surveillance of a school
one of the most difficult tasks of the school health service. Recommendations have to be
most carefully screened, not only in terms of the child's medical history, but also taking
into account the social and behavioural difficulties which so often seem to manifest
themselves and sometimes have serious repercussions in the composition of the classes.
Regular psychiatric and social work support and the devotion and skill of the teaching
staff do much to assist the child's educational progress.
Chalcot School for Maladjusted Pupils
17.7.4 For a variety of reasons Chalcot School admitted few children in 1968. This has
had repercussions insofar as the ordinary schools have had to cope with maladjusted
children awaiting placement and pressure on other types of education for the maladjusted
has increased.
SOCIAL WORK IN THE SPECIAL SCHOOLS
17.7.5.1 The social worker was appointed jointly by the Inner London Education Authority
and the Borough to work in two neighbouring special schools, Franklin Delano Roosevelt
and John Keats. She attended all the medical inspections at the two schools and was
thus able to follow up any social problems which arose and to make an immediate home
visit if necessary. Her role was essentially that of co-ordinator, liaising with social
workers of other Boroughs and voluntary organisations, as necessary, to discuss details
of the child's progress or difficulties, and maintaining contact with hospital medical
social workers and psychiatric social workers in child guidance clinics. She also gave
casework support to certain families when the need arose if no other social work agency
was involved. Such referrals came from the school medical officer, the school nurse,
head teacher and the divisional school care organiser. Close contact was maintained
with the school care organisation, though there was no care committee worker at F.D.R.
School during the period in question and relevant information was relayed to the divisional
school care organiser, who decided whether the social worker should make a home visit
or not. At John Keats School the social worker attended all the school medical inspections
in addition to a care committee worker, but was mainly concerned with arrangements
for free school meals, the provision of clothing and holidays.
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