'A Mere Transporter' - the Legal Role of the Approved Social Worker

The role of the Approved Social Worker in the 1983 Mental Health Act is an unsatisfactory amalgam of legal, professional, administrative and practical functions which has accumulated on a largely ad hoc basis over the last two centuries. The current review of the legislation offers an opportunity to redefine this role in a way which is both clear and internally consistent. This article reviews the history of the role and suggests that more fundamental changes are needed than the proposed in the Report of the Expert Committee.