British National Conference on Social Work
HARROGATE, APRIL 1950
It was impossible to believe in a fundamental opposition between statutory and voluntary bodies when some 450 representatives of both could meet and mix for public discussion and private exchange of views in a markedly friendly and pleasant atmosphere. No doubt Harrogate contributed with its flowers and excellent facilities, but most of us already worked through co-operation between the official and voluntary organizations, and many had shared the same training or comparable social work experience.
Professor Nicholson of Hull took the Chair for five general sessions of uniformly high excellence. His opening reference to our need to view facts with insight and seek for a social pattern unbiased by our personal make-up gave a central theme to which with unostentatious skill he led the speakers, and coaxed even sporadic questions in discussion to fit into this scheme.
For Mr. Roger Wilson the pattern of the history of social work showed the change from almsgiving to ” imaginative surgery in human relations Such of his telling phrases as, ” houses don’t solve the housing problem ” pricked our minds towards more effort of thought and perhaps less ” busyness ” in our offices. He spoke of the slow retail peddling of ideas and gave us a sense of time and space for developing our work
Lest we became too involved in individual problems, came Dr Alice Stewart’s description of some of the aims of the Oxford Institute of Social Medicine. Her field-work study of a ” population at risk such as the Northampton boot-trade which has a high incidence of tuberculosis, showed that for the purposes of the survey, the individual becomes but a cell in the blood count. Social Workers must seek out the significance of such methods in relation to their own work and above all, search their records to see whether new guiding ideas, or some change of manner of recording might enable them to contribute from their vast resources of human material something of value to social medicine.
Professor Spence turned us back to the study of the individual and perhaps we felt more at home with his observations on the effect of the child on the mother, as well as of the mother on the child. In spite of her instinctive response to her baby, he pointed out how amazingly easily she is dominated by technicians and amongst these might be mentioned the social worker. She must guard her ways, for mere watching is in essence interference. An enormous map of the “conurbation” of the Birmingham district, acted as background to MrPaul Cadbury’s talk on ” Town and Country Planning “. Again we were swept out of the home into the community. We must shape our schemes on social requirements and each area be instantly ready to voice its local needs or the rapid developments which are occurring now will set the pattern for future community living in an unwished form.
Looking at the individual, back at society, then again at man in relation to the world, we heard Mcleod of Iona call for a recognition of the fact that the body was dead without the bloodstream of the Spirit. The split between faith and works had brought us to our present loss of direction and he challenged social workers to believe that the only human relations were spiritual?or to perish with their works.
These inspiring addresses alternated with the division of the Conference into five ” commissions ” which discussed ” Child Welfare ” Social Aspects of Health ” Social Adjustment ” Community Services” and ” Social Aspects of Town and Country Planning and Housing.” Ninety-two Preparatory commissions had sent in reports on the Work of their study groups which were ably summarized in material sent round before the conference. The Harrogate commissions varied in size from seventy to twice that number, they attempted to comment on these summaries and each presented a report which was discussed by the Conference.
. It was agreed that the groups were too large and ‘mplied that the subjects were too vast. In spite of the heroic efforts of the chairmen and the miracles Wrought by Rapporteurs in presenting a coherent Report, the results were nebulous and unconvincing, “ere was no advance by a group which had become a corporate unit, but a skilful collection of fragments which could be made into a non-controversial Pattern. The commissions were useful in allowing many, who would have remained silent in the large theatre, t? express their views, and they furthered new acquaintances which are of the value of such Conferences, but they might have done something more. For instance in the Child Welfare Commission there were present a large number of Children’s Officers who are the most important newcomers to the Social work field. Their work brings them into contact with most other branches of social work and they are still working out the limits of their function. Here was a lively chance of discussion but it was largely lost in a group too numerous and various to foster personal give and take.
Another experiment was tried in a symposium in which a representative Youth Leader, Women’s Institute member, Community Centre Leader and an Assistant Director of Education took part. These were the only ” social workers ” who made speeches from the platform. Each was a good representative of his or her special work, but in their few minutes talk could add little to the pattern that was emerging from the whole conference. The speaker from the Local Authority compared the ” immeasurable ” and the ” measurable ” aims of voluntary societies, but we felt that we were being led through the different sessions to see how they intermingle and that there is no opposition.
No social worker was chosen as the main speaker. This is a criticism not of the conference but of the profession. It is hard to imagine better addresses for our purpose than those that were given. We need ordered thought and aims and methods and whether we have a university background or not, it is the professors and those who can stand aside and evaluate who are the inspiration of our work.
Social workers have not yet thrown up the thinker or writer who can take this lead, but are too often buried in the wealth of their material. Such experiences as this conference which embraced and, to a greater or lesser extent, moulded each one of us, may leave an impression on the future of social work.
Robina S. Addis.
We have to make artificial opportunities for social intercourse for various groups of people?the aged, the deaf the blind, the troublesome, the lonely. In more genial days, the general zest of society must have carried all these people along, and no one seems to have been the worse. Now we withdraw our garments and fear to be bored or distressed. Lancet. ” Day Hospitals.” 1.4.50.
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