News and Notes
Board of Control.
On the recommendation of the Minister of Health, the King has been pleased to appoint Mrs. Ellen Frances Pinsent to be a Commissioner of the Board of Control to fill the vacancy caused by the retirement of Miss Mary Dendy. On the recommendation of the Minister of Health, the King has been pleased to appoint Mr. Charles Leolin Forestier-Walker, M.P., to be a Commissioner (unpaid) of the Board of Control in the place of the Right Honourable Sir Willoughby Hyett Dickinson, K.B.E.
Short Courses for Teachers.
The Central Association for the Care of the Mentally Defective is, at the request of the Board of Education, holding two Short Courses for Teachers of the Mentally Defective during 1921. The first one is now being held at Nottingham, and the second one, for which there are very few vacancies left, will be held at Leeds from July 6th to July 27th.
The Course at Nottingham is being attended by forty-three Teachers, thirty- seven of whom are resident at Hollygirt House and School where the lectures are being held.
Lectures are being given by Dr. G. A. Auden, Chief School Medical Officer, Birmingham, Miss E. L. S. Ross, M.A., B.Ed., holder of Carnegie Research Studentship in Psychology, Miss I. Goldsack, Ellis Llwyd Lecturer to the Deaf, Manchester University, Miss Marsden, Inspector of Schools, Nottingham Educa- tion Committee, and Miss Evelyn Fox.
Miss G. Harrison, Lecturer, Reading University, is giving classes in Pshyical Exercises, Singing, Games, etc. Classes in handwork (varied occupations, wood and metal work, cobbling, basketwork, and chair caning) are also being held. In addition Dr. Wyche, School Medical Officer, Nottingham, is giving Demonstrations.
By kind permission of the Authorities concerned, students are visiting the Nottingham Special Schools for the Mentally Defective, the Blind and the Deaf, Pull and Backward Classes, and Infant Schools: the Royal Midland Institution for the Blind, the Sheffield Special Schools, Hopwell Hall Residential School, Whittington Hall, Chesterfield, and Newbold House, Chesterfield.
At both these Courses the fee charged for the Course is ?l Is. for resident students, ?2 2s. for non-resident. The fee for residence for the whole course of three weeks is from ?6 Cs. to ?7 7s.
The Board of Education make grants of ?l a week and a 3rd class railway fare to selected students.
London Association for the Care of the Mentally Defective.
Placing and After-Care of Children who have attended the London County Council Schools for the Mentally Defective.
For this work a grant has lately been given to the London Association by the London County Council?with the approval of the Board of Education?under the Education (Choice of Employment) Act, 1910, as amended by the Education Act, 1918.
This work has hitherto been performed to a limited extent, by voluntary effort, in co-operation of late years with the staff of the London Association. The object of the new grant is to enable the Association and its voluntary visitors to carry out the work in its entirety.
The new grant given by the London County Council under the Education (Choice of Employment) Act affects the After-Care of children leaving Special Schools both for the Mentally Defective and the Physically Defective.
Some details of the approved Scheme as it touches the Mentally Defective may perhaps be of interest here.
Method of co-operation with the Schools.
School leaving forms will be used and School Conferences will for the future be held in the Special Schools as in the Elementary School.
(d) School leaving forms.
School leaving forms (specially adapted) will be filled in at the beginning of every term by the Head Teacher or Superintendent in respect of each child leaving school at the end of the term, and will be forwarded to the Secretary of the London Association (which acts as the After-Care Association).
(b) School Conferences.
Conferences will be held at each school, or group of schools as required, the date and time will be arranged (after consulting with all concerned) by the local Secretaries of the London Association who will summon the Meetings. The Conferences will consist of the After-Care representative, the Head Teacher or Superintendent, the local Secretary of the London Association and if required, or if they so desire, a member or members of the Care Committee.
The objects of the Conferences?as in Elementary Schools?are:?
To examine the School leaving forms.
2. To interview, together with the parents, all children in respect of whom School leaving forms have been forwarded. 3. To consider the School career, possible future occupation and continued education and supervision of each child. 4. To advise as to an Evening Institute where possible or desirable.
NOTE.?With regard to the attendance of Mentally Defective children at Even- ing Institutes, there may be a number of such children who by reason of their defect may not be able to attend. Each case, therefore, will be considered on its merits at the Conference. The London Association will take all necessary action arising out of the Conferences.
Placing.
The “placing’’ of the children will be carried out by the London Association. For this purpose the Association will:?
1.?Collect information and compile an index of reliable employers likely or willing to employ defectives, and to treat them with consideration. (It is probable that some incidental help as to this might be afforded by consultation with the Juvenile Advisory Committees.) 2.?Interview and canvass employers and search out fresh avenues of work. 3.?Endeavour to secure the co-operation of employers in order that? (a) they may allow the Association’s knowledge of the case, and any need for special care, to be communicated to the foreman or forewoman under whom the child is working. (b) they shall inform the Association when the child is unsatisfactory, or for any reason likely to leave their employ. (c) where feasible, they shall occasionally allow the child to be seen at work.
(This procedure would not, however, apply in the case of a child satis- factorily placed by the parents in suitable employment although such child would remain under the supervision of the Association). 4.?Secure in each area, if possible, the use of a room where the Association’s workers may be seen at stated times, and can be consulted either by the parents, or by voluntary visitors Avho are co-operating for the welfare of the children. 5.?Obtain the help, where possible, of a small Committee of trade experts who would interest themselves in, and advise as to the placing of the children.
Supervision.
After the “placing” of children in employment, the London Association will in consideration of this grant, supervise them for a period of two years after leaving School. For this purpose, periodical visits will be made, either to their homes or to their places of employment, and the Association will also keep in close touch, as far as possible, with the employers. If for any reason, employment is found to be unsuitable, or the child loses its employment, steps will be taken to obtain further employment. Both employer and employee, as well as the parents of the children, will have the benefit of the experience and advice of the Association.
Organisation.
The London Association is providing a Central Office, with a Secretary and Assistant Secretary, and four local offices, each with a District Secretary and staff of four workers. The Central Office exercises a general supervision, keeps records and statistics, etc. The District Secretaries will arrange for School Conferences, “place” the children, supervise them after “placing,” etc.
In addition, the School Managers will nominate an After-Care representa- tive for each School. These representatives will be voluntary workers and will act in close co-operation with the Association.
Records and Statistics.
The Association will keep full and careful records of every child passing through its hands. The records will show the result of “placing,” the time the children keep their situations, their progress in them, wages earned, changes in situations, etc., in fact, all available information will be recorded and kept for each case.
The approved organisation is in all essentials, that by means of which the work of the London Association has been carried out since July, 1918, at which date, all types of cases came under one Committee. It is now possible to enlarge it and to establish local offices so that the work may be decentralised. The plan of working is strictly geographical in order to economise effort and to avoid over- lapping.
The extending of the London Association’s organisation having been actually begun in January, 1921, it is hoped that it-will shortly be in full working order, and that we shall be able to estimate the position with regard to remunerative work for the Mentally Defective in London more accurately than has been possible hitherto.
The amount of grant for the financial year 1921-1922 is estimated at some- thing over ?3500.
Darnell, Secretary.
Devon Local Voluntary Association.
A working arrangement has lately been entered into between the Devon Voluntary Association and the Local Education Authority with regard to feeble- minded children considered suitable for a Residential School. The Local Edu- cation Authority are sending round a circular letter to the parents in such cases, informing them that their child is not benefiting by the education in the ordinary Elementary School, and suggesting sending him to a Residential School. In future the Voluntary Association are asked to look up all cases in which the offer is either refused or the letter unanswered, in order to discover whether there is any misapprehension on the part of the parents as to what the offer means. Although owing to the scanty population in the County, the Education Committee arc not able to provide Special Day Schools, two classes have been started for “backward “children. The number of “backward” children who have been able to be returned to the ordinary standard has already proved the value of these classes; one more of which it is hoped will be opened shortly. Central Lancashire Association.
Miss Luce, of the C.A.M.D., visited Blackburn, Preston and Blackpool at the end of February, and gave in each borough a lecture on the Home Training of Young Defective Children. The lectures, which were thrown open to the public, were keenly appreciated, and gave rise to considerable discussion. As a direct result of the Blackburn lecture, two defectives were notified to the Association by their relatives the same week, and the mother of a third defective, who had hitherto refused to let her boy go to an Institution, agreed to his going, as she had not understood before how much could be done for him.
Association of Secretaries to Voluntary Associations.
An Association of Secretaries to Voluntary Associations has been formed to meet a view expressed from time to time as to the assistance which such an organi- sation would be to workers for defectives.
A provisional constitution, drafted by a provisional Executive Committee, was passed at a meeting of Secretaries at 79, Coleman Strreet, E.C.2, on February 5th last. In view of the difficulties of attendance of provincial secretaries at a London meeting their views on different points at issue were obtained by post in advance.
A provisional Executive Committee of eight persons is acting with Miss Blake as Chairman and Miss Nevile Hon. Secretary and Treasurer. The objects of the Association are to further the interests and increase the efficiency of salaried and other workers for the mentally defective, to provide facilities for interchange of ideas and experience of the practical worker and to co-operate with the Central Association and other agencies in influencing public opinion and in promoting the well-being of the mentally defective and sub- normal and unstable persons.
Organising Secretaries and assistant organisers to voluntary Associations are eligible for membership and also such other workers in mental deficiency as shall be approved by a two-thirds majority of the Executive Committee. Annual subscription is 5s. Enquiries and application for membership should be addressed to the Hon. Secretary, Miss C. A. Nevile, 79, Coleman Street, E.C.2.
Baldovan Institution, near Dundee.
This Institution, which was founded 06 years ago, has now been taken over by District Boards of Control of Forfar and Kincardine, Dundee, Aberdeen County and City, Perthshire and Fife and Kinross. Till now, this Institution, which since 1913 has been a Certified Institution under the Mental Deficiency Act (Scotland), has been under the management of a private Board of Directors.
New Certified Institution.
The London County Council has decided subject to the approval of the Ministry of Health, to utilise the Manor Mental Hospital, Epsom, which hitherto has accommodated insane patients, as a certified institution for the mentally defective.
Accommodation will be provided for about 1,000 cases of all grades and both sexes, and provision will be made for the training and industrial employment of the inmates.
The Council has advertised recently for candidates for the position of Medical Superintendent of the new institution.
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