§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary for Social Services what is the present cost to public funds of training a person to become a fully qualified social worker.
§ Sir George YoungThere is a variety of ways by which students and their training can be funded and no overall cost can be given.
The Department provides grants, based on the local education awards regulations, to postgraduate students entering courses leading to the certificate of qualification in social work. In 1979–80, 986 students each received maintenance grants averaging £1,574, tuition fees averaging £861 and travelling expenses.
Non-graduate students entering courses leading to the certificate of qualification in social work may receive a grant from their local education authority. While these grants are based on the awards regulations, they are at the discretion of the local authority and will be varied to meet particular circumstances.
About half of the students entering these courses are seconded by their employing local social services authority on terms agreed locally.
In addition to support for postgraduate students, the Department provided grants totalling about £950,000 in support of practice placements, which form a part of this form of training.
§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how 424W many people were recruited for training to become a social worker by each United Kingdom local authority in each month since January 1979 up to the latest month for which figures are available.
§ Sir George YoungInformation about the numbers of trainee social workers recruited by individual local authorities in the United Kingdom is not held centrally.
I am advised by the Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work that about 3,760 students entered courses leading to the certificate of qualification in social work, in the academic year 1979–80. A proportion of these students may, on qualification, be employed in the probation service or by voluntary organisations: 1,360 of the students were seconded for training by a local social services authority.
A further 921 students, employed by local social services authorities and voluntary organisations, entered courses leading to the certificate in social services.