§ Mr. Maurice Macmillanasked the Minister of Health (1) how many psych- iatric social workers in the calendar year ended 31st December left the hospital service to work for local authorities and other organisations, respectively; and how many, in the same period, joined the hospital service from local authority services, from other sources and on first employment as such, respectively;
(2) if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing the number, on the latest convenient date, of psychiatric social workers employed, respectively, in child psychiatry units, in the adult psy- 344W chiatric hospital service, in teaching posts both in universities and in colleges of further education, in local authority health, welfare and children's departments, and the movement of psychiatric social workers between these employments in the previous calendar year.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonNumbers employed in hospitals and in the local health and welfare services in terms equivalent to whole-time staff were 231 and 265 respectively at 30th September, 1966. I regret that the other information asked for is not centrally available.
§ Mr. Maurice Macmillanasked the Minister of Health if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing the relative salaries of psychiatric social workers of comparable qualifications and seniority in child psychiatry, the adult psychiatric hospital service, teaching posts both in universities and in colleges of further education, local authority health, welfare and children's departments, respectively.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonSalary ranges in the hospital and local health, welfare and children's services are as follows;
- (a) Hospital Service (from 1st August, 1965):
- Social Worker: £995 (age 27) by 5 increments to £1.170.
- Senior Social Worker: (3 years' experience after qualification) £1,055 by 7 increments to £1,340
- Head Social Worker: (5 years' experience after qualification) £1,190 by 7 increments to £1,555.
- Head Social Worker: (in larger departments) extension by 3 increments to £1,745.
- (b) Local Health, Welfare and Children's Services (from 1st February, 1967):
- Social Welfare, Mental Welfare and Child Care Officer, £1,060 by 9 increments to £1,435.
- Grading of higher posts at discretion of employing authority.
I understand that staff in teaching posts in colleges for further education and universities are graded according to their academic responsibilities and that in most departments senior posts are normally held by staff with academic qualifications higher than the professional qualification of psychiatric social worker. Their grades and salary scales cannot be related specifically to persons holding a psychiatric social worker qualification.