In the late 1970s the idea of volunteer ‘helping’ in social work had recently been brought to the forefront of public attention again as society had come to depend more and more on volunteer commitment to supplement, support or even replace the professional social worker. Originally published in 1977, the three self-contained essays presented in this book are all concerned with the concept of ‘helping’, and are linked by the author’s experience of an experiment in voluntary service carried out in Manchester’s special schools. Through his personal involvement in the project, Martin Davies is able to give a detailed account of its aims, and to discuss it critically.

The first essay monitors the project, and the second uses material gained during interviews with the families and volunteers to analyse their attitudes towards the helping relationship. The conclusions the author reaches had major significance for the practice and organization of the personal social services in Britain. The final essay presents a lucid account of systems theory and its applicability to social work, and raises fundamental questions about the nature of support systems in an urban society.