Book Review : Social Enquiries
| DOI | 10.1177/026455056901500108 |
| Published date | 01 March 1969 |
| Date | 01 March 1969 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
SOCIAL ENQUIRIES
A new role for the Social Worker
Robert Foren
Lecturer in Applied Social Studies, University of Bradford
Perhaps because the Government White Paper "Children in Trouble" represents
so considerable an improvement upon its predecessor, "The Child, The Family,
and The Young Offender", the author feels that it has been welcomed rather
too readily by social workers. In the following two caricatured "interviews" he
focusses on just one of the several features of the new proposals which should
cause us some disquiet. If one "interview" has been caricatured rather more
than the other it is merely to make the point.
&dquo;GOOD EVENING, Mrs. Brown. I think you’re expecting me. You will have had
my letter .... Yes, I’d like to come in and have a talk with you and your
husband .... I expect you’re both very worried. Hello Mr. Brown - no,
don’t get up. My name is Williams. I’m a probation officer. I don’t expect
you’ve met one before .... I’m sorry to hear that your Michael is in some
trouble. As the police will have told you, you have to bring him to the juvenile
court on the morning of the l5th .... Yes, that’s on Wednesday of next
week .... No, I’m not from the police. Mr. Brown, I’m from the probation
office .... No, we’re quite separate .... How do ~I know about Michael’s
trouble - oh that’s easy, the police have a duty to inform the probation officer
and the children’s department every time they summons or charge a juvenile
- we just get a little buff form with his name and address on it and the offence
with which he’s been charged and the date of the court appearance. That’s why
I’m here. My job is really two-fold. I’m here to tell you a little bit about the
court procedure so that it won’t be too strange for you all next Wednesday.
But my main purpose for being where this evening is to discuss Michael with
you. I expect you’re very worried about him ... well yes, it’s only to be
expected ... maybe if we can talk it over together in the privacy of your
own home we may be able to sort some of it out ... well, yes I shall want
to talk with Michael too before he comes to court, but not this evening, I
think. Perhaps he could come to my office the day after tomorrow. Tonight
I just want to have a talk with you and learn something of how you feel about
it all
No, what
....
you tell me isn’t entirely confidential, because I’m also
’here to help the court ... to help them come to the right decision so far
as your Michael is concerned ... no I don’t mean help them decide whether
he did it ... no,...
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