Agricultural Hostels for Defectives
Contributed by the Central Association for Mental Welfare Under war conditions, fffsh that, given arisen for demonstrating the pnnPunder- sound training, a suitable envir?n;iTmm of control, standing supervision with the min intelligence individuals who are handicapped y citizens 0r emotional instability can becom ering serious as those who are rehabilitated afte Physical disablement. wtives have been For a number of years mate defecti Certified sent out daily from certain of th? J^es these Institutions to work on farms, an ate Hostels; working patients are housed m si P voluntary ^jere are also a few small indep Voluntary condition ?acf steady employment throughou respon- fwmers are often unwilling to accept the ability for a labourer who is handicapped The great shortage of agricultural workers due to the urgent needs of the present time, encouraged the C.A.M.W., with the full support of the Board of Control and of the Ministry of Agriculture, to approach in the spring of 1941, a selected number of War Agricultural Committees asking them to consider the possibility of utilizing the labour of trained defectives. In November 1941 after pro- tracted negotiations and inevitable delays, the first Hostel was opened in Gloucestershire. In the spring of 1942 a second one was opened in the same county and a third in Hampshire (on the initiative of the County Mental Deficiency Committee). A fourth Hostel, in Shropshire, followed, and the establish- ment of a fifth is under consideration at the time of writing.
In Gloucestershire the Hostels are adapted country houses modernized by the addition of shower baths, electric light, etc. In Hampshire and Shropshire the men are housed in buildings of the type erected all over the country for agricultural workers employed by War Agricultural Committees, consisting of a large dormitory with double tier bfunk beds, a combined day and dining room, generous bathing facilities with shower and slipper baths, a flat for the Warden and his wife, and accommodation for other staff.
The two Gloucestershire Hostels accommodate respectively 38 and 39 men, whilst in the Hampshire Hostel there are 44 and in Shropshire 28. The men come from 24 Institutions. The Board of Control have not insisted on the Hostels being classified as Certified Institutions but, as an emergency measure, they have permitted the men to go ” On Licence ” to the Wardens. This concession has been a great help in freeing the enterprise from irksome technical complications.
The greatest care is taken in selecting candidates for admission. Medical Superintendents put for- ward applications with full reports on physique, capability of adapting to regular working conditions, general behaviour, etc., and in addition, whenever possible, every candidate is interviewed by a member of the C.A.M.W. staff. It has been suggested that the standards laid down for admission are unneces- sarily high, but it must be remembered that in an experiment of this nature, dependent for its success not only on the defectives’ capacity for employment but also on their capacity to fit into village life, special precautions have to be taken.
Adequate outfit is essential, for the work is heavy, and it has been agreed that half the cost (though in no case must this refund exceed ?10) shall be paid back gradually to the Authority out of the men’s wages.
The men are all directly employed by the War Agricultural Committee of the area and continuous employment is guaranteed. They receive not less than ?2 10s. a week (the present minimum fixed by the Ministry of Agriculture for new entrants into the industry for the first two months). A consider- able number are now earning ?3; for others, not up to the standard, a permit has to be obtained for employment at the ?2 10s. rate. (In regard to this point it must be borne in mind that although the men are admittedly industrious workers, they do need rather more supervision than the normal labourer and they cannot be switched on to any and every job, such as tractor-driving.) Out of each man’s weekly wage, deductions are made for board and lodging (21s. to 25s.); cost of initial outfit, 4s. (for approximately one year); laundry, games and administration, 4s. 6d.; National Insurance Is. 3|d. He receives 10s. as pocket money and the balance is banked in the Post Office Savings account opened in his name, or, if he prefers to do so, he may contribute it to the National Savings Group organized by the Hostel Warden.
The men are employed on general farm work, including threshing and harvesting, and?in some cases?milking. In the winter they work chiefly on land reclamation, ditching and draining, tree felling, etc. Generally they are organized in gangs and taken to and from their work in lorries, but so# times they are allocated in ones and twos to individj!” farmers. In either case their wages are paid by’!’ War Agricultural Committee of the area concert^ Each Hostel is provided by the Ministry win1’ supply of bicycles for use when working at a distal For the unskilled work on which they are employ the men have undoubtedly proved their value. ? farmer testified that with their help he had ‘’ the K threshing he had ever had”. In an article The Farmers’ Weekly on the use of volunteer labour in Gloucestershire,” the following stated is made:
“Probably the best casual workers of all proved to be mental defectives?or at least men al. boys slightly below the normal mental standard, one of the committee’s farms, 20 such men plon^ 1acres of potatoes in 1 hour 50 minutes?and the job properly… . They have been found and willing workers, thoroughly enjoying the and the life which the land provides them.’’’’ All the Hostels have gardens and in one of the War Agricultural Committee has authorial the employment of a defective for garden Wo1 (under direction), who is paid in the same way . those who are working outside. Rabbits, hens pigs are gradually being added to each menage ^ these quickly become a new source of interest. ,, The notable success of this experiment is large due to four factors;
(1) The thoroughness of the training given in $ Institutions from which the men come. (2) The care with which candidates for ad miss’0 are selected. , (3) The goodwill and assistance of the ^ Agricultural Committee officials. w (4) The skilled and unselfish service given by ttl1 Hostels’ staffs. Of this last factor, too much cannot be said. ‘! the Wardens, their wives, and the other mein^ of their staffs, must be attributed in no small deg*e, the excellent spirit shown by the men, and th6? ready response to the call for overtime (involving for the Hostel the necessity of provid’11: hot meals at all sorts of hours). The post of War^ is, from every point of view, an exceptionally difficll i one. The responsibility is great, and there is nee for continual unobtrusive watchfulness. Personal problems have to be wisely dealt with, aggriev^ farmers have to be pacified, the men’s individ^ capabilities have to be assessed and their limitati^, noted?excursions and amusements have to organized, educational classes arranged and go?j contacts with the local inhabitants (who have in ^ cases shown the utmost kindliness) created ai> maintained.
In the process of adjustment to conditions 5 unlike those of a large Institution, some of the n^ have, of course, failed. A few have found ^ work too physically strenuous; others have lack^! enough intelligence to keep pace with the ” gang some have proved themselves unequal to the test unaccustomed freedom. But the Pr?P majority such failures is only a small one, and under- ?f the men have readily responded to t^e standing treatment they have received , sur_ atmosphere of happiness and security rounds them. f war
It needed some courage and faith embark Agricultural Committee first concerne , for on such a pioneer venture, and had it n -Uee the patience and goodwill shown by thi ^ me -and subsequently by others-the whole scheme .0 “ft rtsSS
of Social Service?are experiencing sta g ^ ‘^s, but on the whole, we have been fo, each addition to Warden and Assistant ? t nts’ (daily Hostel has a cook and one or two assi or resident) or/and one or two house boy Licence or under Guardianship). Hostels? . The spirit of these?as of other wartime , the ls one of joint effort in a common cause, - men are spurred to put forth their hardest ertorts in order not to fall below the standard of achieve- ment set. At times, a man will complain: “Some, of them don’t see that it’s up to them to do their best.” Many of them take a great deal of pride in their appearance and at the present time they are very eager to acquire the Agricultural green ” battle- dress” which they like to sport when going out; they also wear with immense satisfaction a special blue and gold enamel badge with which, at their own request, the C.A.M.W. has supplied them, bearing the words ” War Agricultural Service
These Hostels have come into being to meet the contingencies of War. But has not experience shown that they have a part to play in the Post-War World ? Cannot one envisage them not only as a means of dealing with defectives capable of employment in agriculture, in industry or in domestic work, but also for meeting the needs of other types of handi- capped members of the community?the psycho- neurotic and the unstable, for example?who, if placed in the right conditions with suitable work and a background of an orderly controlled life, can be helped to overcome their disabilities and to make their contribution to the community.
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