Ministry of Health: Social Welfare Services, Registered Files (99063 Series)

MH 130

1938-1965

This series contains selected Ministry of Health files relating to the development of welfare services following The Second World War. Contains papers of the Younghusband Working Party on Social Workers, 1955 to 1959, and files relating to the care of the elderly and infirm including the development of policy on such matters as the home and domestic help service and questions arising from Ministry of Health Circular 49/47 concerning the care of the aged in Public Assistance Homes and Institutions

99,063 file series

Public Record(s)

English

307 file(s)

Subject to 30 year closure unless otherwise stated

Representations were made in 1952 by the Joint University Council for Social Studies and Public Administration as to the need to improve the level of recruitment and training of social service personnel to meet the needs of an expanding social welfare system.

In June 1955 the Minister of Health announced the setting up of a working party, "to enquire into the proper field of work, and the recruitment and training of social workers at all levels in the local authorities' health and welfare services under the National Health Service and National Assistance Acts, and in particular whether there is a place for a general purpose social worker with an in-service training as a basic grade".

The Chairman was Dr Eileen Younghusband, CBE LLD JP. The members of the working party were representatives of medical officers of health, general practitioners, various local authorities, a university social science department and the National Association of Mental Health. It was assisted by a steering committee representing the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Labour and National Service, the Department of Health for Scotland and the Home Office. Also represented were the County Councils Association, the London County Council, the Association of Municipal Corporations, and various other local authorities.

The working party first met in July 1955 and its report was published in May 1959.