ABSTRACT
Most social work activity was directed towards others who had dealings with the client. Taken with the tendency to dispense with the clients’ consent to future contact, this approach to social work suggests that the participation of elderly clients in seeking and using help was perceived as unnecessary, or at least impracticable. Social workers were asked initially about what was expected of them when taking on a new case, both in relation to the referral agent’s purpose and to the policy of the Social Services Department. Three broad categories emerged: monitoring the elderly, supporting the socially isolated, and supervising children in families under stress. Most of the closures had occurred among the elderly for reasons other than the social workers’ initiative. Only in the case of the socially isolated was there any evidence of allocation reflecting a social worker’s interest. Social workers were also asked about the frequency of supervision in relation to these cases.
