TNAG-0199-FCO40-235-City-district-officer-scheme-1969 — Page 152

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students, a work camp by undergraduates, and so forth.

7.

The

C.D.Os have been among those addressed by Mr. and Mrs. Alec Dickson of Community Service Volunteers during a recent visit sponsored by the British Council. imaginative way young amateurs have been put to work on social problems in Britain suggests that there may be an important role for C.D.Os acting as brokers between the energy and idealism of young people and some of the many social problems still outside the scope of professional social workers or not fully dealt with by hard pressed institutions. What is particularly appealing about such a function is the possibility of generating an emotional response to community needs in what must be admitted to be a material-

istic society.

Staffing

8. Some aspects of a C.D.O's work argue for the building up of experience and knowledge such as can only follow from the establishment of permanent staff with a career in the work. On the other hand the absence of executive power and responsib- ilities and the necessity to look critically at other departments' work while maintaining cordial relations with those doing it would make such a career unattractive to most men of initiative and ability. The necessity for continuous re-appraisal of social problems and needs calls for fresh minds which will not allow familiarity to dull perception. Finally the broad perspective of government aims and the involvement in policies at the point of impact upon the people, key factors in the scheme, represent experience which will be of value to civil servants in many

departments.

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