§ Mr. Roweasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what were the numbers of qualified social workers employed by local authority social services departments and health authorities in England in 1959, 1969, and in each year between 1979 and 1986.
§ Mr. NewtonInformation on the number of qualified social workers is not collected centrally. Numbers of field social workers, qualified and unqualified, employed by local authority social services departments in England, expressed as whole-time equivalents, in each year between 1979 and 1985 (the latest year for which figures are available) are given in the table. The figures include hospital based social workers. Social services departments did not come into existence until 1 April 1971 and comparable figures for 1959 and 1969 are not available. From a sample survey completed in 1986 by the local government training board it is estimated that about 85 per cent. of all field social workers in Great Britain hold a qualification approved by the Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work.
Field social workers of social services departments expressed as whole-time equivalents, 1979–85, England As at 30 September Thousands 1979 22.7 1980 23.0 1981 23.0 1982 23.0 1983 23.7 1984 24.3 19851 24.8 1 Provisional