ABSTRACT
This chapter examines a number of illustrations of social work in a variety of different organizational settings. Contemporary social workers are to be found within a variety of organizations. Probation officers work in the courts of law and in the prison after-care service; children’s departments of the local authorities employ child-care officers; medical social workers are to be found in hospitals and in some local authority health departments; psychiatric social workers work in child guidance clinics, mental hospitals and the local authority health department. The chapter attempts to describe some of the main aspects of social work in each service and, finally, to raise some questions of a general nature. Gradually social workers began to operate from bases other than that provided by the voluntary family welfare organization. The child care officer works with foster parents on an individual basis, but on occasions it is appropriate to work with groups of foster parents on a common range of problems.
