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In September 1968, one of the unqualified social workers and one of
the two trainee social workers were seconded to the two year full time
certificate for social work course at Barking College of Technology. The
secondment of staff for full time training depletes the effective strength
of the social work section but is essential if the department is to achieve
a qualified service. Ideally, locum appointments should be made to fill
the gaps but in the prevailing economic climate, this does not seem
possible. In reality it has meant higher case loads for already overburdened
staff with consequent dilution of available resources.
The importance of learning to apply knowledge and to develop skill
in practice is an integral part of social work education. To achieve this
universities and colleges concerned with the professional training of
social workers place their students in selected social agencies where
professionally qualified social workers are available to undertake practical
casework teaching. Since the inception of the Borough in 1965, the
Welfare Department has been host to many students of social work and
other disciplines who wished to observe the working of the various
services provided by the department. Until recent times though, because
of the shortage of trained social workers, it was not possible to offer
professional casework placements. However, as the department has now
recruited several professionally qualified social workers with experience
of field work teaching, it is now feasible to accept social work students
from local colleges for extended professional placements.
Participation in student training can make a significant contribution
to the department's development. Apart from contributing to the pool of
qualified social workers, the department could benefit in many ways
from providing student placements. The knowledge and skill of the
student supervisor is usually increased through teaching and contact
with others concerned with student teaching. The presence of students
is often a most useful stimulus to the work of the department. The