HL Deb 31 March 1977 vol 381 cc1096-7WA
Baroness FAITHFULL

asked Her Majesty's Government:

  1. (i) what action is being taken to deal with the emergency which will arise next autumn when 36 per cent. (600) of the social work student places in universities and polytechnics are not likely to be taken up due to the present method of funding grants, i.e. secondment by local authorities who under present financial circumstances are in no position to pay for such places; and
  2. (ii) how many field social workers and residential social workers are employed by local authority social services departments in England and Wales, and how many in each of these categories are qualified.

Lord WELLS-PESTELL

(i) My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Social Services, met representatives of the local authority associations concerned on 17th March, to discuss the danger that, because of financial constraints, local authorities might reduce the number of staff they second, and the number of discretionary awards they provide, for social work training. It was agreed that further discussions should be held about the future funding of social work training. My right honourable friend undertook, in the meantime, to examine urgently the possibility of finding further resources, from within his Department, for additional student support.

(ii) As at 30th September 1975 there were 3,880 field senior social workers including team leaders, 11,930 field social workers and 22,220 care staff in residential homes and hostels in England (all figures whole-time equivalent). Information about qualifications of staff is available only for whole-time staff (and does not include staff for Surrey or Trafford who did not submit qualifications information) and is as follows:

No. Staff No. Qualified
Senior Social Workers (including team leaders) 3,690 3,020(1)
Social Workers 10,720 4,370(1)
Care staff of Residential Accommodation for the elderly, elderly mentally in firm and younger physically handicapped 6,970 2,650(2)
Care staff of Homes and Hostels for the Mentally Ill and Mentally Handicapped 1,630 530(3)
Care Staff of Local Authority 1,750(4)
Maintained and Controlled Community Homes for Children and Young Persons 11,440 2,230(5)

My right honourable and learned friend the Secretary of State for Wales informs me that equivalent figures for Wales are as follows:—

As at 30th September 1975 there were 190 field senior social workers including team leaders, 710 field social workers and 1,230 care staff in residential homes and hostels in Wales (all figures whole-time equivalent). Information about qualifications of whole-time staff is as follows:—

No. of Staff No. Qualified
Senior Social Workers (including team leaders) 189 160(1)
Social Workers 691 235(1)
Care Staff of Residential Accommodation for the elderly, elderly mentally in firm and younger physically handicapped 410 220(2)

TRAFFIC WARDENS CADETS OTHER CIVILIANS
31st December England & Wales Scotland Total England & Wales Scotland Total England & Wales Scotland Total
1937 — — — Detailed figures are not available, but staff were employed on various clerical and domestic functions, and there were a few youths employed specifically to gain experience before attestation as constables.
1947 — — — 676(1) — 676(1) 2,977(2) 817(2) 3,794(2)
1957 — — — 2,874 144 3,018 9,970(2) 798(2) 10,768
1967 4,192 362 4,554 4,534 338 4,872 19,846 1,342 21,188
1976 5,867 821 6,688 3,705 496 4,201 34,551 2,740 37,291
(1) Youths employed to gain experience before attestation as constables.
(2) Excludes part-time staff for whom no figures are available.