Betty, aged 45
Has been married for 24 years, three children.
Has not worked most of that time.
Has done evening courses in youth guidance.
Has spent the last year teaching pupils privately for state exams – with good re-
sults.
Has been constantly active in local government - has been elected to local council
twice.
ROBERT, aged 27
Has never been married, no children.
Has served a term in prison - killed a man in a drunken fight; but has committed
no further crimes since release two years ago.
Has recently become a Catholic, regularly goes to church.
Has been working in school for mentally retarded in poor area - has been recom-
mended by principal of the school.
Has followed no course of formal study.
CLAIRE, aged 60
Has been married, husband now dead, no children.
Has been a teacher for 35 years, mostly teaching English abroad.
Has lived many years in the Far East (husband was diplomat).
Has taught English in British Council school in Singapore and Hong Kong.
Has been Principal of British School for girls in Kuala Lumpur.
Husband died two years ago; since then has been in this country, doing voluntary
youth work; has recently completed Diploma in Youth Counselling.
POSSIBLE JOBS
'Buddy' (companion) for AIDS victim
Probation officer (training provided)
Children's nurse in orphanage
Teacher in special school for disturbed teenagers
Role play
Looking for a job
Language - arguing, reacting to other people's statements (agreeing, disagreeing, contradicting, criticising, doubting, defending one's position, giving in) Other - cooperation, role taking
Organisation Group work (three to five members) as preparation for 'fishbowl' discussion
Preparation Handout (see Part 2) for each group
Time 20 - 40 minutes
Procedure Step I: The handout is distributed to the groups and the task explained. Each group imagines that they are members of the local council who have to select somebody for the vacant post of social worker at Fairview Estate from the four applications that have been submitted. As a first step the groups decide on their criteria for selection, based on the advertisement and the background information on the handout as well as their own judgement. They then discuss the four applicants and rank them according to their suitability. (10 - 15 minutes)
Step 2: Each group selects a speaker who has to explain and defend the choice of his group. All the group speakers meet in the middle to discuss the applicants. If one of the other members of the group feels that he has some better way of arguing the group's position he may replace the speaker of his group. Unless a consensus has been reached amongst the speakers after a given time (15 minutes) a vote is taken by all the participants.
V
ariations
The
activity could be continued with a role play. See Interview
for a job.
WANTED
Experienced SOCIAL WORKER
Preferably full-time, to work in Fairview Estate. Needs car. Some evening and weekend work. Council flat available. Salary £7,000 p.a.
A pply to Lindon Borough Council, P.O. Box 106, Lindon.
Fairview Council Estate
built 1968-72, many high-rise flats; high incidence of truancy and juvenile delinquency, large number of one-parent families; no youth club; widespread vandalism; large proportion of old-age pensioners; one pub; secondary modern school, two primary schools.
APPLICANTS
Freda Hastings, 35 Divorced; 2 children aged 8 and 6; trained as a social worker 10 years ago; no employment in the last eight years; no car; would like half-time job;
c annot work evenings or weekends; bad health; cheerful personality; likes children; needs a bigger flat.
H arold Winter, 23 Single; just finished training as a social worker; some experience in running a youth club; has a motorbike; not many friends; spends more than he earns; insecure personality; likes working evenings; wants £7,200 p.a.
S ue and Mike Darrell, 28 and 32 Married; 3 children aged 6, 4 and 1; both trained social workers; went to work in Africa for six years after training; would like to share the job because of the children; will not accept any job for less than £4,000 each p.a.; no car; would like a house; very interested in political work; no experience in working with old people; do not want to work weekends.
R obert Ludlow, 49 Married; no children; has a car; worked as lorry driver, barman and night watchman before training as a social worker 10 years ago; has had five jobs in the last four years; suffered from alcoholism, now cured after therapy; marriage problems; a bit short-tempered; wants to make a new start; gets on well with older people; very strict with children and youngsters.