§ Mr. Eldon Griffithsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will provide further details of the pilot scheme initiated by the Association of Directors of Social Services whereby 26 American social workers have been recruited to work in Great Britain; what is the total cost to public funds of this scheme to date; and whether, in view of recent cuts in Exchequer support for local authority social services and possible redundancies among social workers, it continues to be her policy to encourage this scheme.
§ Mr. MeacherI understand that the pilot scheme is being administered by a joint steering committee on which each of the seven local authority social services departments concerned is represented. The scheme was advertised through American schools of social work and short-listed candidates were interviewed at four recruitment centres in the United States. Suitable candidates were offered 753W appointment subject to satisfactory medical clearance, satisfactory references, the validation of their social work qualifications and the isue of a work permit by the Department of Employment. I understand that the total cost of the scheme to public funds to date is fractionally less than £100 for each social worker who has been recruited and is less than the average costs incurred by authorities in advertising such posts in this country.
The scheme was launched because, notwithstanding the expansion of social work training in this country, there is still a serious shortage of professionally qualified social workers. The question whether it should be continued is a matter for the Association of Directors of Social Services and for prospective employing authorities, but I am writing to the local authority associations to emphasise the full implications of the current economic and financial situation.