§ Dr. Roger Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to encourage social service workers to seek greater experience and expertise in the handling of mentally ill patients in order to improve their response to emergencies.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergWe have recently sent to interested bodies for their comments draft guidelines which set out a possible programme of training and experience calculated to provide expertise in the care of mentally disordered people. The Bill now before Parliament proposes that social workers shall only have power to make applications for patients' admission under the Mental Health Act 1959 if they have been approved for the purpose by their employing authority, which will be required to have regard to any statutory directions given by my right hon. Friend. If such provisions become law, my right hon. Friend proposes to direct local authorities to have regard to such guidelines, and this should help to increase the expertise of those responding to psychiatric emergencies.