From Caseworker to Manager

Abstract

For about two decades, U.K. public sector organizations have undergone a period of rapid change generated by political pressure. This has been particularly true of the probation service, where the implementation of new agency objectives has led to a change in working methods and in the duties undertaken by certain members of staff. Social work, the `traditional' symbol of the probation service, which had been valued by staff, was allowed to atrophy, as it was seen to be incompatible with the new objectives for the organization that were orchestrated by the government. The adoption of new management methods has helped to generate new attitudes to social work and to stimulate the promotion of different approaches to the control of staff.