22
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23. 1986
+ I WOULD LIKE TO REASSURE MEMBERS THAT THERE IS SUCH A COMMITMENT, TO PROVIDE BOTH FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO THOSE WHO ARE AT LEAST ABLE TO HELP THEMSELVES, THE POOR, THE ELDERLY AND THE DISABLED, AS WELL AS DIRECT SERVICES FOR THOSE WHO NEED THEM, PARTICULARLY FOR THE ELDERLY, FOR OFFENDERS AND OTHER VULNERABLE YOUNG PEOPLE AND FOR FAMILIES WHO HAVE PROBLEMS THEY CANNOT COPE WITH ON THEIR OWN, HE SAID.
HE SAID PART OF THE PROBLEM WAS THAT IT WAS MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TO ESTABLISH THE DEMAND FOR WELFARE SERVICES THAN IT WAS, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR SCHOOL PLACES. +PLANNING RATIOS ARE ESSENTIAL AS A BASIS FOR THESE PROGRAMMES, BUT INEVITABLY THEY HAVE TO BE BASED ON ASSUMPTIONS ON HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE LIKELY TO NEED A PARTICULAR SERVICE.+
PROGRAMMES WERE SET OUT IN THE 'FIVE-YEAR PLAN FOR SOCIAL WELFARE DEVELOPMENT WHICH WAS UPDATED EACH YEAR.
MR CHAMBERS NOTED THAT MEMBERS HAD EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT THE SCHOOL SOCIAL WORK SERVICE AND IN PARTICULAR THE PRESENT RATIO OF ONE SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER FOR 4 000 STUDENTS.
HE SAID: IT HAS BEEN ACCEPTED SINCE 1982 THAT AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE QUALITY OF SCHOOL SOCIAL WORK AND A BETTER MANNING RATIO ARE DESIRABLE. BUT IT WAS CONSIDERED AT THAT TIME THAT THE IMPROVED MANNING RATIO OF ONE SOCIAL WORKER TO 2 000 STUDENTS SHOULD ONLY BE APPLIED AFTER ALL SCHOOLS WERE COVERED UNDER THE EXISTING RATIO, AND IN THE CONTEXT OF THE OVERALL SHORTFALL OF TRAINED SOCIAL WORKERS.+
SINCE THEN THERE HAD BEEN SOME CONCERN WITHIN THE GOVERNMENT ABOUT THE MOST EFFECTIVE MEANS OF DELIVERY OF THE SERVICE, AND HE BELIEVED IT WOULD NOT BE APPROPRIATE TO CHANGE THE MANNING RATIO UNTIL THAT QUESTION HAD BEEN RESOLVED.
+WE HAVE THEREFORE ESTABLISHED A WORKING GROUP WITH MEMBERS FROM THE GOVERNMENT, THE SCHOOLS AND THE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES TO REVIEW THE ARRANGEMENTS, AND I HOPE TO RECEIVE ITS RECOMMENDATIONS SHORTLY.+
ON QUESTIONS ABOUT FINANCING, MR CHAMBERS SAID THE PACE AT WHICH THE GOVERNMENT COULD PROCEED IN MEETING ITS POLICY OBJECTIVES AND TARGETS DEPENDED ON THE FUNDS AVAILABLE AND OTHER FACTORS. THESE FACTORS INCLUDED THE WILLINGNESS OF SUITABLE AGENCIES TO UNDERTAKE SERVICES, AVAILABILITY OF SITES OR PREMISES, AND THE AVAILABILITY OF TRAINED MANPOWER.
+ON THE FINANCING OF INDIVIDUAL SERVICES, IT IS INEVITABLE THAT A LARGE SHARE OF THE AVAILABLE RESOURCES MUST GO TOWARDS MAINTAINING EXISTING SERVICES AT CURRENT STANDARDS. THIS MEANS THAT NEW SERVICES AND IMPROVEMENTS TO STANDARDS HAVE TO COMPETE FOR THE REMAINING FUNDS.+
/BUT HE