Institute of Social Welfare

Description

Agent TypeOrganisationActivities & OccupationsWelfare organisationsHistoryThe Government established a training facility in 1963 at Lisson Grove, Hawthorn (later at “Loyala” in Watsonia), in response to recommendations made by Merritt in his 1957 report, “Child Care Staffs in Institutions: Report on Survey Undertaken for the Children’s Welfare Advisory Council to Determine the Need for Courses of Training”. The report was commissioned by the newly formed Children’s Welfare Advisory Council on 18 September 1956. Established simultaneously with the implementation of the 1954 Children’s Welfare Act the Council was intended to form a link between government and voluntary child care institutions: a way of getting religious and secular institutions on to the same page, maybe. Up until then the two groups had operated separately.

The training facility was operated by the new Social Welfare department’s Training Division, as established under the Social Welfare Act 1960 and provided what was for many people the first formal staff training in child care; previously the only training offered for child care workers was a course run by the Victorian Council of Social Service. The Government authorised the use of the name “Social Welfare Training Institute” for the Training Division’s headquarters in 1968. The Social Welfare Act 1960 also brought into being a Social Welfare Training Council. Such initiatives demonstrate the interest in improving standards of 'care' in child and family welfare. The Institute of Social Welfare became the Community Welfare Training Institute on 13
February 1979 and some courses were transferred to the State College of Victoria, Coburg at this time.
The Institute’s final site at Watsonia was acquired from the Jesuits in 1974 and sold in 1994; in 1983 the Institute vacated the site and it seems likely that all courses were transferred to the TAFE sector at this time.

Source: FindandConnect (as edited) and other sources.

Series

Dates

Date1963-c.1979

University of Melbourne Archives

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Institute of Social Welfare