BDffMponsibilities and carry their burdens without themselves breaking under the strain.Social workers everywhere are trained to respect their clients' integrity and to en- courage them to make their own decisions with a view to helping them retain or recover their self-respect and independence as far as may be possible.Only as a last resort will a social worker seek to solve the problem by removing it-for example, by arranging insti- tutional care.Moreover, the importance they attach to the uniqueness of the individual, whoever he may be and whatever his circumstances, which is a basic principle of social casework, helps to counteract the tendency to standardization which is a recognized risk arising from the size and complexity of the social services.Admittedly, the developments just described do not and cannot go all the way to overcoming the tendency, to which all of us are liable in greater or lesser degree, to accept what is given and rely on others to see us through our difficulties, and any attempt to alleviate distress by collective provisions involves the risk of encouraging this, but I think it right, especially in view of the quota- tions cited by Pertinax, to draw attention to the fact that the most recent developments in the social services are directed towards giving individuals and families (to quote the Child- ren and Young Persons Act, 1963) "professional advice, guidance and assistance," which, it is hoped, will encourage and enable them to cope with their difficulties without forfeiting their independence and self-respect.