childcare-50years

4
Practice, however, soon established that fostering was not a panacea
for all children. For older children and those, whose earlier life
experience meant that they were unable to be cared for by foster
carers, residential care began to be recognised as a "positive choice"
rather than a last resort. During the 1960s, the growing interest in
residential social work found expression in the Williams Committee
Report, "Caring for People" (1967). Its recommendations particularly
those concerning training were viewed as controversial and provoked
considerable discussion amongst residential social workers. Following
its publication a small representative group was established to study
the problems of residential work. The group met at Castle Priory
College during March 1968. It established the following over-arching
questions:
• what sort of children are receiving residential care?
• what is the nature of the professional task in residential
social work?
• what sort of training should be provided for residential work
and is the present training appropriate?
• what professional support and consultation are needed?
• what standard of staffing ratio is necessary?
Castle Priory is best remembered for its work on establishing staffing
ratios for residential homes. It was, however, an important milestone
in recognising residential child care as a professional task, which is
different from the traditional concept of substitute parenting.
The public scandals surrounding residential care, which have come to
light in relation to the abuse of children have all had a dramatic
impact on the development of residential services for children. Recent
investigations in Great Britain, include:
• "The Leicestershire Inquiry",1992;
50 YEARS OF CHILD CARE IN NORTHERN IRELAND
86