These are the records of the headquarters of the Salvation Army Men's Social Services in Great Britain and Ireland, 1880s-1978.
The arrangement of the records is as follows:
The Men's Social Services began as the Men's Social Work Department in the 1880s. Its headquarters were at 20-22 (formerly 272) Whitechapel Road, London until they moved half a mile west to 112-114 Middlesex Street in 1926. The work comprised various functions during its existence, including hostels and shelters for working and homeless men; schools and homes for boys and young offenders; prison work; advice and employment bureaux; anti-suicide bureaux; city and land colonies (settlements); rehabilitation centres; and care homes for elderly men.
In 1978 the Men's Social Services amalgamated with the Women's Social Services (WSW) to form the Social Services department. The headquarters were based at 280 Mare Street, London (the former Women's Social Services headquarters). As part of the reorganisation of the International Headquarters' administrative structure in 1991, the Social Services department became incorporated into the administrative structure of the newly created UK Territory. The Social Services continued to have their own separate site based at 105-109 Judd Street, London until 1999 when they relocated to the new site of the UK Territorial Headquarters at 101 Newington Causeway, London.
This collection is partially available for research. All records are open with the exception of officer records which are closed for the lifespan of the officer. When it is not possible to establish whether an officer has died, a closure period of 84 years is imposed under the Data Protection Act. Please enquire for details. Open files can be viewed in the reading room of The Salvation Army International Heritage Centre, open Tue-Fri 9.30-4.00. It is advisable to make an appointment. Tel: 0207 326 7800; email: heritage@salvationarmy.org.uk .
A multi-level description of this collection can be accessed in the International Heritage Centre's online catalogue: http://www.calmview.eu/SalvationArmy/CalmView/ . A paper catalogue is available in the reading room of the International Heritage Centre.
