Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

After Rick Slater died in 1990, a man called Dr Ken Little was brought in to assist those who needed it, as the school psychologist. I tried to contact him last summer to pass on some family news. I tried an old email address, several months later a reply from an unnamed person to say he'd died. I replied for more details but have had no response. I subsequently can't find anything online about him. No obituary, professional mentions, nothing. He did some training in the US at John's Hopkins University. At the time we met him (1990) he lived in Chichester, then moved to Manchester, then back south to near Petworth, Sussex. He'd converted from the Roman Catholic church and was also a layreader in the Chichester diocese. I'm wondering how long he was involved at school and whether any other OBs remember him.

I await some updates with great interest.

RIP Rick. The first i knew any support was available but frankly it should have been available to him before his death, not just for those affected afterwards. Too little, too late particularly given the background of some pupils and the pressured academic environment (let alone the abuses going on in the background).

Like Rick, I was in a bad place that summer and got no help from anyone. The first line of defence should have been the chaplaincy staff but they were invisible. I guess im fortunate I wasn't Dobbies type. No house / teaching staff gave a rats arse.

Scazza wrote: ↑Fri Aug 03, 2018 12:15 pm No house / teaching staff gave a rats arse.

I've written elsewhere about reporting Rick's mental state to house staff and getting the brush off. Maybe I should have been more persistent and tried elsewhere but I didn't to my continuing regret. I'm sorry you too felt unsupported, Scazza.

J.R., I'm not saying that I think there's anything dodgy about Dr Little. I would however like to know more about his connection and work at school (and within the Chichester diocese) as my recollections aren't intact at a distance of 28 years.

Rick’s death was a tragedy that stunned the school. I had no idea that a psychologist was drafted in to provide help - that was kept quiet.

I wouldn’t have gone near the Chaplaincy at the time for anything - there’s enough here on Dobbie. Sheila Banyard was cold, cruel, and had an air of such sanctimonious piety about her that you knew you’d just get little empathy. A sort of Nurse Ratched type.

Avon wrote: ↑Sat Aug 04, 2018 5:59 am Rick’s death was a tragedy that stunned the school. I had no idea that a psychologist was drafted in to provide help - that was kept quiet.

I wouldn’t have gone near the Chaplaincy at the time for anything - there’s enough here on Dobbie. Sheila Banyard was cold, cruel, and had an air of such sanctimonious piety about her that you knew you’d just get little empathy. A sort of Nurse Ratched type.

A great reference to old school methods of dealing with mental health issues, Ed.

I still feel disturbed watching "One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest".

I joined a few years after Rick’s death and it was still very fresh in the collective school memory. There was no visible support for any pupils however, including many prolific self harmers. I know several OBs whose arms are still covered in scars, but nothing was ever done to support them.

Dazed

This makes very sad reading and hints at an institution seemingly unaware of the scale of mental distress some (too many) children were struggling to cope with in some of the boarding houses.