Social_Welfare_Annual_Report_1962-1963 — Page 37

ant role to play in helping to raising standards of social work practice and plans to intensify its efforts in this direction during the coming year.

101. Perhaps the most encouraging evidence of the willingness and ability of Government and voluntary agencies to work closely together in the interest of effective service has been the response to the social work training programme which is reported in Chapter II. The general willingness to provide field placements for social work students and to participate in the In-Service Training Programme both at the planning stage and throughout the courses has been an outstanding demonstra- tion of concerted effort. Quite apart from the tangible results, in the form of better trained staff, the increasingly close and cordial relation- ship between voluntary agencies and the Department as organizations and between many individual members of staff has been of great mutual benefit. The Department envisages its role as that of a partner with voluntary agencies. Each has important tasks to perform, tasks which will be carried out more effectively in a climate of mutual understand- ing and goodwill and in a spirit of service to people in need.

14th August, 1963

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D. W. B. BARON, Director of Social Welfare