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38
The Hackney Junior Training Centre in Ickburgh Road continued to accept
trainees from Tower Hamlets, Camden and Islington until the end of the Summer
Term when these children were transferred to their respective boroughs who had
by then made arrangements to accommodate them.
The children resident in Hackney who attended the Shoreditch Training
Centre were transferred to vacant accommodation at the Hackney Training Centre.
As a result the premises housing the Shoreditch Training Centre, became available
for adaptation for use as a day centre for 50 patients.
SPECIAL CARE UNIT
The Lodge at the Millfields Disinfecting Station was opened in February as
a Special Care Unit for 20 severely sub-normal children between the ages of 5
and 16 years, who in addition to their mental handicap were also physically
handicapped. This unit proved extremely valuable, and the children's progress
(in some cases which were considered hopeless) has been most remarkable. The
success of this unit indicated the pressing need for a unit to cater for severely
handicapped children under the age of 5 years, and at the time of writing one
of the nursery class rooms at the Hackney Training Centre is being adapted to
provide a unit of 12 places to meet in part this need.
SHORT TERM CARE
This is provided for a maximum period of 8 weeks in order to provide relief
due to family emergency or other crisis - during the year 49 patients were
given short term care. It is worthwhile noting that vacancies for short term
care are becoming increasingly difficult to find due in some respects to private
residential homes being used more and more for permanent care.
PERMANENT CARE
11 patients were admitted to hospital for permanent care but the situation
regarding hospital vacancies for children under the age of 5 years who have been
waiting several years for admission shows no improvement and in view of the
Minister of Health's Circular indicating that hospital admission will only be
considered in cases where the patients need medical and nursing attention, I
feel that the future looks very black. In order to alleviate much distress
amongst families the Council makes arrangements for such patients to be
accommodated in registered private homes at no charge to the parents. At the
end of the year 17 Hackney patients were accommodated in private residential
homes, and as mentioned in my previous paragraph this reduces considerably the
amount of accommodation available for short term care.
DEVELOPMENTAL ASSESSMENT CLINIC
Examinations at this clinic are carried out by a medical officer who specialises
in the assessment of children who do not appear to be making satisfactory
progress in their normal development. She gives advice and guidance to the
mothers and makes recommendation on their placement and advises on how to make
use of the services provided for particular cases within the Borough. The
clinic was held on 43 occasions and 120 children were examined.
CO-OPERATION WITH HOSPITALS, VOLUNTARY SOCIETIES, ETC.
During the year an in-patient psychiatric unit was opened in the Hackney
Hospital and recently has come within the aegis of St. Bartholomew's Hospital
where a chair in psychiatry has been established. The Principal Medical Officer
for Mental Health and the staff of the Mental Health Section co-operate closely
with this unit, and attend case conferences and medical lectures frequently.