Contemporary Topics and Reports
| Date | 01 December 1945 |
| Published date | 01 December 1945 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9299.1945.tb01934.x |
Contemporary
Topics
and Reports
Training
of
Civil Servants
First Report
of
the
Joint Committee
of
the Civil Service
National
Whitley Couhcil
on
the
Training
of
Civil
‘
Servants
~ANTRODUCTORY
1.
The Assheton Committee
on
the Training of Civil Servants expressed
the hope (paragraph
22
of their Report, Cmd.
6525)
that “some way
will
be
found of associating the National Whitley Council with the more general over-
sight
of
training policy for the Service as a whole.”
In
pursuance of
this
recom-
mendation we were appointed as a Joint Committee
of
the National Whitley
Council to keep the field
of
training
under continuous review
and
to consider
problems
on
which it might seem useful to offer observations to Departments.
2.
As a first step
we
have completed a review of the recommendations of
the Assheton Committee, and
in
general we are
in
cordid agreement with them.
The Assheton
Committee
did
not, however, attempt
to
go $to great detail, or
to pursue implications which clearly led beyond
training.
We
feel
therefore
that
there is some room for interpretation, for enlargement, and
upon
some points
for further consideration. We have set out
in
SeEtion
II
below,
such
comments
on
the Assheton Committee recommendations as we wish to offer for immediate
consideration. Where
no
comment
is
made,
our
agreement may be assumed.
3.
We der
the
following remarks
on
a
set
of problems which the Assheton
committee were not called
upon
to consider, but which are
now
urgent and
important, namely,
thost
involved
in
the
entry
or return to the Civil Service of
persons
from the Forces or other war-time employment.
Detailed proposals will vary according to conditions
in
each Department,
but
we
consider that the whole subject demands sympathetic and imaginative
treatment. We are glad to note that careful schemes have already been worked
out in some Departments.
The following suggestions are offe-red as a basis
on
which we
think
depart-
mental schemes might
be
devised.
(a)
On
arrival these officers should be made
to
feel
a
genuine welcome,
and, as far as practicable, should be received by a senior officer with the
right personal qualifications.
(b)
They might then be allowed a week,
if
they
so
desired,
in
which to
“
browse round
”
and get the
“
feel
”
of
the office before entering
on
any
formal training course, or being assigned to a duty.
(c)
There should be formal training arrangements for bringing them
up
to
date
with
developments during the war-particularly
in
Departments
whose functions have changed substantially. The arrangements should be
on
a reasonably liberal basis, though they will
no
doubt
vary
in
accordance
with departmental conditions.
(d)
It
should be the conscious
aim
of
Departments and
all
existing
staf€
to
create the right atmosphere
of
tolerance and helpfulness, particularly
but not merely, towards officers suffering from
any
nervous and physical
disability, throughout the
period
of
training and re-adaptation.
141
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