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In-Service Troining for Social Workers
This year has been an extremely busy one and there is every indication that our resources
will continue to be stretched. The public are more aware of the services available and the
provision of these is directly related to the quality and number of staff. We are still short of Social
Workers and without the full complement of these it is not easy to carry out a balanced programme
for those in training within the department and for others coming from universities and colleges for
practical supervision. The outlook for the future is brighter and we take heart from this.
At present seven are away at training colleges, two of whom will be returning in the
Autumn of 1968 following, we hope, the satisfactory completion of the courses. One will be
returning to Mental Welfare and the other to Social Welfare.
Of our six trainees in the department we anticipate that three will be accepted at colleges
for next year. The competition is becoming very keen despite the fact that there are now 23 technical
colleges giving Social Work Training. In 1963, the first year the certificate was awarded, 76
were successful; in 1967 the number was 274. Now it is not unusual for one particular college to
have as many as 170 applicants for 24 places, and, although it is gratifying that there are so many
individuals wishing to make a career in the Social Services, it is inevitable that some will be
disappointed or have to wait for another year before re-applying.
At the same time some universities have started new post graduate courses in Social Work
Training and all seek practical placements for their students. It is not unlikely that the future
trend will be for local authorities to be asked to considered the possibility of setting up a Student
Unit as so far more hospitals and clinics have been used for this purpose than Health and Welfare
Departments.
To learn about the various services and the principles and practice of Social Work, students
have come to use from colleges and universities for varying periods. Close contact is maintained
in each case with the tutors of the respective institutions and an attempt is made to ensure that
the experience will be a meaningful one in the learning process. They come from differently planned
courses and some are more advanced in their career than others. Like the rest of us they have their
own strengths and weaknesses. As we ourselves get more staff who are qualified this part of the
work will become less time consuming. Needless to say both students and colleges are appreciative
of what we have to offer and even more would like to come than can yet be managed.
One psychology student at Brunei University spent four months as a work placement with
us and he concentrated on the education and welfare of the "mentally disadvantaged" in the
borough. He was particularly interested in the inter-play of hereditary and environmental influences
in determining the upper limits in intellectual growth; was encouraged to carry out some of his
personal theories and wrote a paper on the subject. No doubt he will give further thought to this
and discuss his views with his tutors on his return to college.
From time to time our seconded staff come in to see us, especially when during their
studies they are called upon to do a particular piece of written work which they wish to discuss.
Theory and practice must travel together and it is now more generally realised by colleges and
field work supervisors that their effort is a joint one in the production of effective social practitioners
for the future.
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