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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1977
ON ANOTHER ASPECT OF THE PROFESSIONAL ISM OF SOCIAL
WORKER, MR. LEE NOTED THAT ONE OF THE PROBLEMS TO GET ACCEPTANCE OF SOCIAL WORK AS A PROFESSION WAS THAT MANY SOCIAL WORKERS HAD BEEN EMPLOYED IN A HIERARCHICAL ORGANISATION+.
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AS A RESULT, HE CONTINUED, THE MOST EFFECTIVE WORKERS TENDED TO MOVE AWAY OR TO BE MOVED AWAY FROM THE WORK FOR WHICH THEY WERE TRAINED, TO SUPERVISORY AND MANAGEMENT POSTS.
+ IN NO OTHER PROFESSION, AS FAR AS I AM AWARE, DOES THE SYSTEM PROVIDE FOR THE BULK OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE PRACTITIONERS TO CEASE TO PRACTISE AFTER SOME YEARS OF SERVICE, HE ADDED.
MR. LEE BELIEVED THAT ONE LINE OF APPROACH TO TACKLE THIS ISSUE WOULD BE TO LOOK SERIOUSLY AT THE POSSIBILITY OF PLACING MORE EMPHASIS ON THE INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY OF WORKERS IN DIRECT SERVICE TO CLIENTS AND LESS EMPHASIS ON THE NEED FOR SUPERVISION, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE WHO ALREADY HAD ACQUIRED CONSIDERABLE EXPERIENCE.
BY FOLLOWING THIS APPROACH, HE POINTED OUT THAT IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE TO DEVISE AN ORGANISATIONAL AND SALARY STRUCTURE WHICH LEFT THE EXPERIENCED WORKER MUCH MORE ON HIS OWN, WITH A POSITION AND SALARY COMPATIBLE TO HIS RESPONSIBILITY IN DIRECT SERVICE AND PRACTICE.
+ANOTHER POSSIBILITY MIGHT BE THAT SOME SOCIAL WORKERS COULD BE RECOGNISED AS SPECIALISTS IN THEIR PARTICULAR FIELDS AND REWARDED ACCORDINGLY.
+WHAT THIS IMPLIES IS THAT WHILE WE HAVE RECOGNISED THE USEFULNESS OF THE CONVENTIONAL SUPERVISION MODEL, PARTICULARLY FOR THE LESS EXPERIENCED WORKERS, WE SHOULD EXAMINE THE POSSIBILITY OF ADOPTING OTHER MODELS WHICH WOULD PROVIDE THE NECESSARY MACHINERY FOR CONSULTATION OR FOR OBTAINING SPECIAL IST ADVICE AND AT THE SAME TIME ENABLE THE EFFECTIVE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR EXPERIENCED AND TRAINED PERSONNEL+.
ORGANISATIONAL CHANGE IS ALWAYS A CHALLENGE TO ADMINISTRATORS AND WOULD OFTEN MEET WITH RESISTANCE FROM CERTAIN SECTION OF THE STAFF, MR. LEE NOTED, BUT AGENCY STRUCTURE SHOULD CONSTANTLY BE UNDER RE-EXAMINATION.
+THERE SHOULD BE A DEVICE TO ENSURE THAT WHEREVER POSSIBLE, CHANGES ARE MADE IN ORDER TO MEET CURRENT DEMAND OF THE COMMUNITY, TO PROVIDE BETTER SERVICE TO THE CLIENTS AND AT THE SAME TIME TO MEET THE NEED OF SOCIAL WORKERS FOR THEIR PROFESSIONAL GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT, + HE ADDED.
78.