Area Teams in Social Work Practice: A Programme for Research *

This paper critically examines assumptions underlying the belief that the organization of service delivery through a system of area teams has major advantages in the field of social work. It is generally felt that area teams are accompanied: (1) by improved client access to service provision, (2) by a closer identification with the local area on the part of social workers, (3) by decentralized organizational decision-making, and (4) by an increased sense of colleague support amongst professional staff. A review of some relevant literature casts doubt on the validity of these assumptions and reveals that the operational acceptance of the area team principle has not been complemented by thorough investigations of organizational and other influences on service delivery. In outline a programme of further research is proposed. The paper attempts to broaden discussion on this subject and place the basic philosophy of area teams for comparison against a body of empirical research material.