Education Welfare Officers (Training)

HC Deb 08 June 1976 vol 912 cc1184-5

9. Mr. Hooky

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps are being taken to improve the training of education welfare officers as recommended in the 11th Report of the Expenditure Committee, 30th July 1975, paragraph 136.

Miss Margaret Jackson

The Government's reply to the Expenditure Committee's Report has now been published. It describes action being taken by the bodies responsible—local authorities, the Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work and the Local Government Training Board—to improve basic and in-service training for the education welfare service.

Mr. Hooley

Does my hon. Friend agree that truancy can be an important factor in eventual delinquency? Will she put pressure on the bodies concerned to look particularly at the valuable work that the educational welfare workers can do in this area?

Miss Jackson

I fully accept my hon. Friend's comments. The Department sees great value in the work of the education welfare service. My right hon. Friend has taken steps to convene a meeting to discuss these very complex problems later this month.