It was bliss to be working in the heady 1970s. The Seebohm Report had led to the inception of social services to replace the former welfare and children's departments, and the new generic social work organisations were fast finding their feet. One feature that united all area or district social work teams was the weekly case allocation meeting. Usually, under the supervision of a senior social worker or district manager, cases were distributed among the teams.
The dynamics of these meetings were subtle: a bit like a Dutch auction. To begin with, everyone took a few new "cases" as a sign of team solidarity. Then additional cases were allocated through a combination of flattery and veiled threats. Finally, body language became everything. The slightest glimmer of interest or questioning – even an eye flicker – was taken to be an indication of interest or engagement and a willingness to take the case.
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