Background - a brief history of Sutton Mencap

1950’S and early years
Last year (2006) we celebrated our Golden Jubilee and although early records of the organisation have been lost, Sutton Mencap was registered as a Charity in 1956. Apparently, a group of parents joined together in the early fifties to give each other mutual support and to campaign for better Services. This was at a time when children with PMLD were still sent to long stay Hospitals e. g. the Fountain Hospital on the Queen Mary Hospital site which later became Orchard Hill as the children grew older.

Children with SLD were sent to Training Centres – the one in Sutton being in the original building now occupied by SCILL. They were looked after during the day but were considered to be ineducatable. The 1971 Act changed that and the training centre became Sherwood Park School. (This moved to its current site in a purpose built school in 1992.)

Children with more moderate disabilities were considered to be worth educating for low skill jobs and Carew Manor was opened as a special school (under Surrey then) in 1956.

1950s

Adults of course were either in long stay Hospitals or at home, unless they had the ability to hold down a job. It was clear that there was a huge disparity between the way in which children with learning disabilities compared with their more able siblings and it was no wonder that parents were motivated to campaign ardently for better services.

1970s
Sutton Mencap appeared to be very influential in two directions.

Campaigning and raising funds for better education at Sherwood Park, e.g. Sutton Mencap raised enough funds for a Swimming Pool in the basement with the proviso that it should be available for anyone with learning disabilities one evening a week. ( When the school moved to its current building it was provided with a well – equipped pool.)

Campaigning for somewhere for the adults to go during the day so that parents did not have to devote all their time to looking after their adult “children.” These campaigners must have been effective – perhaps attitudes were also changing – because the Council opened a day centre at “Hillview“, an old wartime factory in Hillview Road. However, within a few years a brand new, much praised purpose built centre was developed - called Hallmead !

All this campaigning and fund raising was done entirely by very committed volunteers, i. e. parents and carers.

1950s

1980s
Once Hillview became empty, it was offered by the Council to Sutton Mencap to use as offices and a centre for meeting. This made life easier, but still all the work was done by the members. Within the Borough there was very little residential provision other than Orchard Hill and again Sutton Mencap campaigners vigorously for permanent residential accommodation for more able people as well as with some respite. The Council agreed and thus Camperdown was built, with a great deal of consultation with Mencap. This was considered to be a great achievement.

It was during this period that Sutton Mencap started to provide Services – still without paid staff. Although Sutton Council had opened 3 after school and Holiday play centres (Grange, Lindberg and Tweedale) they were not available for children with L .D. So, of course, Mencap’s parents started their own – just 2 weeks in the Summer Holidays, first at Devonshire Primary School and then at Carew Manor. Thus was born Sutton Mencap’s Childrens Services with a small annual grant of £500 from the Education Department to help.

Toward the end of this period, consideration was given to approaching the Council for financial help to appoint a part time development officer. The Council agreed and of course this decision eventually led some few years later to a S. L. A. This period saw a much greater involvement of the Council with the Voluntary sector as the need to provide more Services was acknowledged.

1990s
The appointment of the Development Officer was the start of Sutton Mencap becoming more business like and professional and with more income being assured other staff were eventually appointed – the first being a Childrens Services Manager to open an after school club one day a week.

It was in 1994 that we appointed our first full time Director. The Executive Committee felt that the time had come to seek better premises so that we could really start many new Services. The Council agreed in 1996 that we could use the almost derelict house -8 Stanley Park Road provided we found the money to renovate it. We did (£450,000 in a year) and opened new premises in February 1998.

This was the start of a huge expansion in Services and consequently now employ about 40 staff (7 core staff and the rest sessional) with many volunteers as well.

This period also saw Sutton Mencap being represented on many council committees and partnerships which has been an enormous benefit in enabling Sutton Mencaps voice to be heard - not least by people with L. D. themselves.

3

2000s
This decade therefore has seen Sutton Mencap consolidating its position as an organisation able to be responsive to a changing Environmental Government. White Papers, e. g. Valuing People. “ Our Health Our Care, our Say,” and consequent changes in provision by the council. We are still campaigners making sure that change improves the lives of people with L. D. but we also need to ensure that as an organisation our structures, policies, procedures and admin, support are robust enough to cope with the challenges of continuing to provide high quality services in an increasingly competitive market.

The Schemes running through our “ History “ can be
summed up as:

  • Being responsive to changing needs, opportunities, legislation and new ideas.
  • Involvement of parents / carers and now having the views of service users at the forefront of everything we do.
  • Search for funding.
  • The support of Sutton Council.

 

 

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