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TRAINING OFFICER'S REPORT, (SOCIAL SERVICES)
As a result of the far¬reaching re¬organisation of April, 1970, it
was found essential to follow up with a formidable training and development
programme aimed at preparing staff for the many changing and developing
roles of a new structure.
1. Prior to April, when the setting¬up and moves into Area Teams
took place, Area Team Leaders and their Assistants were experienced
in only one social work discipline or, at the most, two. They
had, therefore, to be given opportunities for observing the
work of other Departments or Sections, e.g, Mental Health, (which
was to be transferred to Social Services, i.e, Area Teams), but
of which they had no experience. The majority of this training
was arranged internally, but one placement was obtained in another
Authority so that an Area Team Leader could gain relevant experience,
The move into Area Teams and the consequent involvement
of senior staff prevented this project from being completed, but
a considerable amount of work preparatory to further learning
had been
2. Seminars were held for staff assuming new responsibilities as
senior social workers. These social workers were enlarging their
supervisory responsibilities to include staff from three social
work disciplines. It was as essential that they should know of
the legislation and practice involved as learn something of the
special techniques of staff supervision. The senior social
workers meet regularly at fortnightly intervals as part of our
continuing staff development programme.
3. Seminars which enabled social workers trained or experienced in
a specific discipline to discuss the legislation, policy, and
techniques of the complementary social work groups in the Area
Teams were conducted by the Training Officer and by other experienced
staff members. These enabled each social worker to look
at the practice of the other two social work disciplines in
the Team, and were useful in extending their knowledge of the
work undertaken. This was an extremely useful stage in our programme,
and continues to bear results,
4. The Children & Young Persons Act, 1969, required a training programme
to deal with its many implicationsLectures were held
at fortnightly intervals throughout the Autumn when outside
speakers included the Chairman of a Magistrate's Panel, the Chief
Clerk of a Juvenile Court, a Senior Probation Officer, a Chief
Officer from the Juvenile Bureau at Scotland Yard, and a team
of workers from an Approved School. In conjunction with these
sessions we had valuable co¬operation from the local Juvenile
Bureau when the police arranged two exercises dealing with police
procedure prior to court appearance, and they also took part in
a mock court training session.
5. In working towards integrated social work functions in Area Teams,
new training needs have to be met as practice changes, e,g.
regular weekly talks on mental health legislation, and simple
descriptive lectures on clinical conditions, are given to welfare
and child¬care staff about to undertake mental health rota duty.
6. Because of the necessity to take on untrained social workers in
child¬care, two intensive 3¬day sessions dealing with relevant
legislation were held. They have since joined in fortnightly
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