© British Association of Social Workers
The Approved Social Worker — Reflections on Origins
After completing a Social Science degree in 1972, the author worked in Zambia and Ethiopia as a community development worker. In 1978 she completed a M.Sc. (Econ) at the London School of Economics following which she taught social work students at University College, Cork. After 1980 she worked in Northern Ireland as a social worker at the Royal Victoria Hospital and Mater Hospital in Belfast and as a member of the social services training team of the Northern Health and Social Services Board. She is currently engaged in research on mental health policies and services in Northern Ireland.
Correspondence to Pauline M. Prior, Department of Social Policy and Social Work, University of York, Heslington, York YO1 5DD.
Summary
The aim of this paper is to examine the role of social workers under current mental health law, in order to see if the advent of the Approved Social Worker (ASW) represents any more than the re-appearance of old concepts in a new guise. It is argued that it is impossible for the ASW to be anything more than an updated version of the Relieving Officer of the last century, in view of the fact that the Mental Health Act 1983 does not provide a clear mandate for an effective professional advocate on behalf of mentally ill people.
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