Priscilla Young
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Priscilla Helen Ferguson Young (25 November 1925 – 8 January 2006) was an English social worker. She was director of social work education at the Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work (CCETSW) from 1971 to 1986. Young also worked with the Family Welfare Association, before becoming the children's department of
Somerset County Council Somerset ( , ), archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to ...
and subsequently the deputy children's officer in Oxford. She was tutor-supervisor at the University of Leicester's School of Social Studies from 1961 to 1971.


Early life and education

On 25 November 1925, Young was born at her grandmother's rectory in
Bath, Somerset Bath (Received Pronunciation, RP: , ) is a city in Somerset, England, known for and named after its Roman Baths (Bath), Roman-built baths. At the 2021 census, the population was 94,092. Bath is in the valley of the River Avon, Bristol, River A ...
. She was the oldest child of the social worker, secretary and teacher Fergus Ferguson Young and his wife, the former
Foreign Office Foreign may refer to: Government * Foreign policy, how a country interacts with other countries * Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in many countries ** Foreign Office, a department of the UK government ** Foreign office and foreign minister * United ...
worker Helen Frances Graham ( Murphy). Young had a young brother and relatives who were of English, Irish and Scottish descent. At age four, Young and her parents moved to Kenya, where her father taught in a rural area. She was isolated as a white child and was educated by her mother and examined by her father. The family returned to England in 1936. Young was educated at The Kingsley School,
Leamington Spa Royal Leamington Spa, commonly known as Leamington Spa or simply LeamingtonEven more colloquially, also referred to as Lem or Leam (). (), is a spa town and civil parish in Warwickshire, England. Originally a small village called Leamington Pri ...
, and studied for her
Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...
degree at the
University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...
, where she also did a social studies course.


Career

Between 1947 and 1951, she worked with the Family Welfare Association in London. Young worked in
Somerset Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...
in the children's department of its
county council A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries. Australia In the Australian state of New South Wales, county councils are special purpose ...
from 1951 to 1953 before moving to Oxford to become its deputy children's officer between 1953 and 1958. In 1958, she moved to the United States, and broaden her experience by working with the child and family services in
Portland, Maine Portland is the List of municipalities in Maine, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat, seat of Cumberland County, Maine, Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 at the 2020 census. The Portland metropolit ...
. She joined the
University of Leicester The University of Leicester ( ) is a public university, public research university based in Leicester, England. The main campus is south of the city centre, adjacent to Victoria Park, Leicester, Victoria Park. The university's predecessor, Univ ...
as tutor-supervisor in child care in the School of Social Studies in 1961. She would be lecturer and then senior lecturer while at the university. Young left the university in 1971 and was appointed director of social work education at the Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work (CCETSW). At the CCETSW, she established a framework within which social work education would be allowed to develop. Young introduced single social worker qualification and set two-year training courses. She responded to the 1964 Kilbrandon report and the 1966
Seebohm Report The Seebohm Report (1968) or the Seebohm Report on Local Authority and Allied Personal Social Services was the report of a committee reviewing the organisation and work of social services in the United Kingdom. It recommended that separate local a ...
on local social services by setting up regional offices, expanded training to all day-care, field and residential staff and took on approved distribution of training support grants, social work examination and student grants. Throughout the years, Young oversaw the issues around the CCETSW's political aspects become more problematic and accusations during the 1980s that the council along with social work and training establishments were "institutionally racist". She and her colleagues were required to either accept, adjust, reconcile or resist change as there became a vastly increased awareness of social worker's jobs in children's services, particularly in child protection. Young also oversaw trade unions resisting post-qualifying training and educational institutions disagreed with employers about courses contents and shapes. She retired to Bath in 1986. Between 1987 and 1993, Young chaired family service units and the South West
Children in Need ''BBC Children in Need'' is the BBC's UK Charitable organization, charity dedicated to supporting disadvantaged children and young people across the country. Established in 1980, the organisation has raised over £1 billion by 2023 through its ...
Committee. She was the Christian Council on Ageing's vice-chair and was a member of the
Social Security Appeals Tribunal The Social Security Appeals Tribunal (SSAT) was an Australian quasi-judicial tribunal established in 1975 and made a division of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal in July 2015. The SSAT was established on 10 February 1975 to review decisions m ...
. At the local care centre, Young cooked meals and drove the housebound to places.


Personal life

Young was religious. In 1977, she was made an honorary fellow of
Sheffield Hallam University Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) is a public research university in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The university is based on two sites; the City Campus is located in the city centre near Sheffield station, Sheffield railway station, whil ...
. In June 1982, Young was appointed
CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
, for "services to social-work education". To mark her retirement, she received an honorary
Doctor of Letters Doctor of Letters (D.Litt., Litt.D., Latin: ' or '), also termed Doctor of Literature in some countries, is a terminal degree in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. In the United States, at universities such as Drew University, the degree ...
doctorate from the
Ulster University Ulster University (; Ulster Scots: or ), legally the University of Ulster, is a multi-campus public research university located in Northern Ireland. It is often referred to informally and unofficially as Ulster, or by the abbreviation UU. It i ...
in 1987. Young died of
cerebrovascular disease Cerebrovascular disease includes a variety of medical conditions that affect the blood vessels of the brain and the cerebral circulation. Arteries supplying oxygen and nutrients to the brain are often damaged or deformed in these disorders. Th ...
in The Rectory,
Leonard Stanley Leonard Stanley, or Stanley St. Leonard, is a village and parish in Gloucestershire, England. It is 4 miles (5.5 km) southwest of the town of Stroud. Situated beneath the Cotswold escarpment overlooking the Severn Vale, the surrounding ...
,
Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...
, on 8 January 2006. Her funeral took place in the local church.


Personality and legacy

According to Olive Stevenson in the ''
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from History of the British Isles, British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') ...
'', Young "played an important role in establishing social work as a valuable and recognized profession." Stevenson noted Young "was least comfortable in adversarial situations, such as arose with trade unions or in relation to racial issues. She commented that 'one of the greatest stresses of the job was the diversity and levels of things that had to be dealt with'" The University of Edinburgh Department of Social Work holds a box collection of her correspondence and placement reports from 1946 to 1960, and the
British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom. Based in London, it is one of the largest libraries in the world, with an estimated collection of between 170 and 200 million items from multiple countries. As a legal deposit li ...
holds tapes and transcripts of her career at the CCETSW.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Young, Priscilla 1925 births 2006 deaths People from Bath, Somerset Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Academics of the University of Leicester 20th-century English women 20th-century English people 21st-century English women 21st-century English people 20th-century British civil servants 21st-century British civil servants English social workers English civil servants 20th-century British women civil servants Commanders of the Order of the British Empire English women civil servants