Four important pieces of legislation span the life of social services departments. Established by the 1970 Local Authority Social Services Act, they were given a new brief by the 1989 Children Act and the 1990 NHS and Community Care Act, and then terminated by the 2004 Children Act. Their demise was not greatly mourned. Although they were long lived as compared with most local government departments, their reputation had been tarnished by a succession of professional failures in adult care and in the care of children. They were viewed as toxic in some deprived areas because of their readiness to remove children from their families. Their ability to deliver highquality services was compromised by the unremitting pressure on local government resources.

The 1970 Local Authority Social Services Act

The Act established a single social services department in each local authority. The departments were based on the principles set out in the Seebohm Report (1968). This had emphasised the need for a coordinated and comprehensive approach to social care that would support families, detect need and encourage people to seek help. The new departments were to be responsible for domiciliary help, residential care, registration of independent residential homes and social work support. This was a huge remit.

Local authorities were required to establish a Social Services Committee, and the Act listed those functions which were the task of the Committee. It also required the appointment of a Director of Social Services subject to the approval of the Secretary of State. That approval was not a formality, and in a number of instances the power was used to disqualify the preferred candidates of local authorities – often where the authority had sought to appoint the existing Medical Officer of Health to the position.

The process of appointment was chaotic: