§ Mrs. GormanTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will introduce legislation to ensure that local authorities employ mature women who have brought up a family, or have direct experience thereof, to supervise children's homes.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyWe are sure that many mature women could play a more substantial role in the management of children's homes.
253WIt is for authorities to decide the qualifications and experience that are appropriate for posts carrying different responsibilities within a home's staff establishment and to organise recruitment and/or training accordingly.
Training opportunities have been enhanced by a number of initiatives taken by the Department, including acceptance of the recommendations in Sir William Utting's report "Children in the public care" that all heads of residential children's homes should be professionally qualified.