Social work has seen immense pressure over the past 12 months, so we wanted to take a trip back in time, to unearth the roots of social care and establish the points in history where pivotal events took place to shape modern day social care and what it’s come to represent.
Social Care Timeline
1889 – The ‘Children’s Charter’ was passed and recognised as the first act of parliament to focus on the prevention of cruelty to children. For the first time in history, the state was permitted to intervene in relationships between parents and children.
It afforded the Police the power to arrest anyone found ill-treating children, and to enter a home, should it be thought that a child was in danger. This same Act provided guidelines on the employment of children and outlawed begging. In 1894 the Act was revised, allowing children to give evidence in court, and identifying the act of mental cruelty. At the same time, denying a sick child medical attention became a criminal offence.
1908 – The Children’s Act was established, which paved the way for the introduction of Juvenile Courts and the registration of foster parents.
It was also around this time that the study of psychology and sociology gained popularity and further addressed social structures. Ultimately paving the way for social work to be recognised in academia and thus creating a professionalised role.
Early 1930s – The Unemployment Assistance Board was founded early in the 1930s, finally bringing an end to the Victorian era workhouses for children, by way of offering income support to those who were unemployed.
1932 – The expansion of the powers of Juvenile Courts resulted from the ratification of The Children and Young Persons Act 1932, whereby the introduction of Supervision Orders for children who were considered ‘at risk’ originated. 12 months later, a further condensing of all existing child protection laws manifested in the singular legislative Act.
The Creation of the NHS
The National Health Service was borne in 1948 out of observed experiences during war time. Given that a sizable percentage of the populace benefitted from state-organised medical services, war time PM, Winston Churchill realised that the public’s future expectations would henceforth be compared with this.
Hence the commissioning of the Beveridge Report to determine welfare and health services going forward. The report’s recommendations sparked manifesto pledges to establish the NHS, with the author himself declaring that; “Medical treatment covering all requirements will be provided for all citizens by a national health service.”
Health Minister, Aneurin Bevan stated that; “The essence of a satisfactory health service is that the rich and poor are treated alike, that poverty is not a disability, and wealth is not advantaged.”
1948 – A children’s committee, together with a children’s officer in each Local Authority were the key components of The Children Act 1948. This followed on from the ushering in of the Parliamentary Care of Children Committee in 1945, in the wake of the death of 13-year-old Dennis O’Neill at the hands of his foster parents.
1960s – Fast-forward to 1965, and MP Douglas Houghton created the Committee on Local Authority Personal Social Services, chaired by Baron Frederic Seebohm. Published in 1968, amongst other things the Seebohm Report recommended the establishment of a unified social service within each major Local Authority, which effectively provided a community-based and family-orientated service.
1968 – Under the 1968 Social Work (Scotland) Act, children, welfare, health and probation committees were replaced by dedicated and all-encompassing Local Authority Social Work departments, which were ultimately responsible for the investigation of child abuse and neglect.
1970s – Ratified in 1971, the Local Authority Social Services Act 1970 partially introduced the Seebohm recommendations, while a consultative document issued in 1976 highlighted objectives aimed at older people, those with physical disabilities, people suffering from mental illness, and those with learning disabilities.
1970 – Social Work services and social care provisions – including children’s – were brought together under the unifying social services departments, as per the Local Authority Social Services Act 1970.
1974 – A significant lack of coordination among services tasked with child welfare, was cited in the inquiry into the death of Maria Cowell, who was killed by her stepfather. The development of area child protection committees (ACPCs) bore out the subsequent report being published, which coordinated local efforts to ensure the protection of vulnerable children.
More Dedicated Children’s Acts Were Legislated
1989 – Although not coming into force until 1991, The Children Act 1989 highlighted the right to protect every child from both abuse and exploitation. Its core value being that children were typically best looked after within the framework of their families. Revisited in 1999, The Protection of Children Act was later passed, with its objectives being to safeguard against paedophiles being able to work with children.
1990s – Local Authorities were given the green light in the planning of community care – although having to do so in collaboration with health service partners – after recommendations drafted in the Griffiths Report. Itself inspired by the findings of the 1989 white paper, ‘Caring for People.’
2000s – In 2005 the then Secretary of State for Health, John Reid, said; ‘Social services and social care touch all our lives at some point or another and, because of that, they are not about “other” people. They are about families and friends, neighbours and communities, in the towns and in the countryside in every corner of England.’
2003 – Margaret Hodge is appointed the first Children’s Minister in June, while in September the same year a government green paper entitled, ‘Every Child Matters’ proposed an electronic tracking system for England’s children. Elsewhere plans were announced to set up an amalgamated health, education and social services and appoint a children’s commissioner for England.
2004 – Legislated by parliament, The Children Act 2004 delivered on the primary proposals of the abovementioned green paper (including children’s files, directors and a commissioner), with councils given another 2 years to set up children’s trusts.
Advanced CCA Has Provided Bespoke Social Care Services for 25 Years
Social care has been around in various forms and functions for centuries as an informal concept, through religion, family, community, charitable and governmental structures.
Here at Advanced CCA we have specialised in the provision of independent Social Work assessment services for the past 25 years, and are renowned as a leading provider of both evidence-based reports and assessments for a range of clients; including Local Authorities, Solicitors and the Courts.
Our comprehensive assessments are undertaken and presented so as to achieve the best outcomes for the child, courtesy of our highly experienced, Independent Social Workers, who we have individually selected, and represent some of the most reputable social care professionals in the sector.
In our next blog we will take a look at present day social work, how it’s been affected by the pandemic and what the future has in store.
