The management and supervision of Approved Social Workers: Aspects of law,policy and practice

This article reports on the first extensive survey of Approved Social Worker (ASW) activity in Northern Ireland. It begins with a review of literature that identifies the complexity of legal and professional functions expected of ASWs, in the context of mental health legislation in the UK. Findings include high levels of perceived competence reported by practitioners, but diversity in the management of the service, and some problems in multi-disciplinary working. The emergency, out-of-hours duty teams in which many ASWs were employed appeared to vary in organization and operation. Service users and carers were generally dissatisfied with the responses to crisis services and appealed for adequately funded community supports. At a time when the review of the Mental Health (England and Wales) Act, 1983, is taking place, the authors suggest that ASWs can still perform an important statutory role, on condition that there is a more consistent approach to training, re-approval and funding of community-based services.