Social Work
Social work departments were set up following the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 which gave responsibility for social work functions to local authorities.[1] From this point, social work covered wide-ranging responsibilities for the social welfare of persons in need, for children, for offenders under probation or released from prison and for child offenders and the children’s hearings system (children’s panels). These powers and responsibilities were not all new, but the 1968 Act was comprehensive in scope, replacing or consolidating previous legislation on children, public assistance and offenders and introducing some new concepts.
The 1968 Act gave social work responsibilities to county councils and to large burghs as defined under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1947.[2] Small burghs were considered part of the relevant county for social work purposes. The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 transferred responsibility for social work to regional and islands councils.[3] The Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994 transferred responsibilities to the unitary councils.[4]
The 1968 Act required the relevant local authorities to establish a social work committee (which replaced the old children’s committee under the Children Act 1948) and to appoint a director of social work whose qualifications had to meet those prescribed by the Secretary of State for Scotland.[5] The 1994 Act replaced the obligation to appoint a director of social work with the obligation to appoint a chief social work officer, holding prescribed qualifications.[6]
The 1968 Act was amended by the NHS and Community Care Act, 1990 and the Children (Scotland) Act 1995. Additional responsibilities were introduced by various statutory instruments. Social work departments in local authorities increased in budgets and staffing following local government re-organisation in 1975 and by 1996 social work budgets and staffing were second only to education services.
Social Work as a function of local authorities dealt broadly with three main areas of work –children, young people and families; community care; and the criminal justice system. From 2015 local authorities were allowed to delegate these functions to integration joint boards for health and social care but, by 2018, in practice only the community care function was delegated.[7]
Records relating to social work clients are normally not transferred to archives services and clients have a right of access and should contact the relevant social work provider. Minutes and papers of the social work committee and related material may be found in local authority archives services. The National Records of Scotland holds the minutes of the Advisory Council on Social Work, research and annual reports on social work in Scotland and other related material.
Compiler: Elspeth Reid (2021)
Related Knowledge Base entries
Care of children, young people and families
Records relating to children and young people
Bibliography
Ferguson, Keith, An introduction to local government in Scotland (The Planning Exchange, 1984)
McNeill, Fergus, & Bill Whyte, Reducing Reoffending: Social work and community justice in Scotland (Willan Publishing, 2007)
Norrie, K McK., Legislative Background to the treatment of children and young people living apart from their parents. (Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry, 2017) <https://www.childabuseinquiry.scot/research/research-reviews/the-legislative-and-regulatory-framework/> [accessed 21 Jun 2021]
Turbett, Colin Community social work in Scotland. A critical history. (Iriss, SASW and Social Work Scotland, 2018)
References
[1] Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 (c.49).
[2] Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 (c.49) s.1.
[3] Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (c.65) s.161.
[4] Local Government (Scotland) Act 1994 (c.39).
[5] Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 (c.49) ss.2-3.
[6] Local Government (Scotland) Act 1994 (c.39) s.45.
[7] Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014 (2014 asp 9).