A Knight’s Tale (63: A Course And A Change of Position)

From 1973/4 I attended a weekly training session for Local Authority staff supervisors conducted by Janet Mattinson. It was as a member of this group that I first met Maggie, née Cook, who coincidentally lived in a flat in the aforementioned ( in episode 61) Dolphin Square.

During the second year of the course, attendees were required to present their version of a chosen supervision session that they had conducted. When my turn came I was rather nervous. This is because one of my own supervisees was also a member of the group. Everyone thought it would be a good idea for me to present a live session with that person.

In 1974 I secured a post as Assistant Area Social Services Officer, soon to be renamed Deputy Area Manager, in Westminster Social Services Department. Muriel Trapp, my manager, and I were responsible for four teams of Social Workers and a hundred or so Home Helps. There were four Social Work Team Leaders and a Home Help Organiser. Apart from standing in for Muriel when necessary, I became allocated supervisor for two of the Team Leaders. One of these was Maggie Cook. This meant it was a live session with Maggie that I was to present. I don’t remember anything about it, but it must have been found acceptable.

Maggie was to become Mrs Michael Kindred. There will be more of a developing friendship which would lead to the existence of Mordred in due course.