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BLOG: International Missing Children's Day - We must make children aware of the dangers without ruining their childhoods

Social worker Janet Foulds writes on the release of the PACT/ CEOP report Taken,which calls for a revamp of ‘stranger-danger’ warnings in the wake of findings which show that in 42 per cent of police reports studied, the abductor or would-be abductor was not known to the child.

24th May 2013

BASW Cymru Adroddiad Mai 2013/BASW Wales Report May 2013

21st May 2013

NIASW Report - May 2013

It may be hard to believe that we are half way through 2013 already but looking back it has been a really productive year so far for NIASW. We are determined to keep up that trend and make even more impact during the coming six months so watch this space.

21st May 2013

SASW Report – May 2013

The month before the school summer holidays always seems a busy time as we try and clear our desks to take that much needed recreation time before the Autumn settles in, which as gardening books will tell you starts in August in Scotland.

21st May 2013

BASW England Report – May 2013

Sadly child sexual exploitation is in the news wherever we look at the moment, whether in relation to criminal trials concerning the murder of young girls, the prosecution of gangs of men (Oxford being the latest), or historical abuse (celebrities and North Wales children’s homes). Sue Kent represented BASW last month at a roundtable event led by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), where she shared the views of members of the BASW Practice Group on Child Sexual Exploitation about the prosecution process. We know that the present system can see those who have suffered undergo further abuse during cross examination. This has to stop to ensure more convictions of offenders and better protection for the young people who have bravely come forward. A consultation will be launched in the summer and BASW will be responding.

21st May 2013

BASW's concern at unrealistic timescale for Frontline's fast-track "high fliers"

BASW responded to the launch of Frontline, a fast-track training model for “high-flying” graduates, with nationwide media appearances expressing concern at the tight timescale proposed for preparing candidates for entering practice and at the risk of university trainees being shunted aside in the queue for placements. Accepting that the programme offered “the potential to attract new talent into the profession” BASW’s Chief Executive Bridget Robb said the pilot studies, commencing in September, must be used to evaluate whether the model of summer school training and workplace supervision can prove effective.

20th May 2013

BASW cautions that newly appointed Chief Social Workers must work together

In a hectic week of announcements the Westminster Department of Education revealed that Isabelle Trowler, former Assistant Director for Children’s Social Care in Hackney, would be the new Chief Social Worker for Children and that Lyn Romeo is to become the Chief Social Worker for Adults in England. Ms Romeo is currently Assistant Director of Adult Social Care and Joint Commissioning for the London Borough of Camden.

20th May 2013

BLOG: Bridget Robb on the appointment of two Chief Social Workers for England

BASW Chief Executive Bridget Robb offers some early advice to the two newly-appointed Chief Social Workers in England "The long awaited announcements of Lyn Romeo and Isabelle Trowler as the Chief Social Workers for Adults and Children's social work in England is both a celebration and a major disappointment.

20th May 2013

BASW urges new Chief Social Worker for Adults to work closely with wider social work sector

BASW has urged the newly appointed Chief Social Worker for Adults in England, Lyn Romeo, to work closely with her soon to be revealed counterpart for children if she is to make the role a success. As Chief Social Worker for Adults Ms Romeo, currently Assistant Director of Adult Social Care and Joint Commissioning for the London Borough of Camden, will be responsible for improving the quality of care across adult services in England and acting as a champion for the profession.

16th May 2013

Chief Social Workers and Frontline scheme offer "potential" but reforms must acknowledge realities facing social work on the ground

The newly appointed Chief Social Worker for Children and a fast-track training model for high-flying graduates each have the potential to improve social work in England but must not go the way of other recent reforms which have yet to make a notable impact on the profession, BASW said today. In a double announcement the Department of Education revealed that Isabelle Trowler, former Assistant Director for Children’s Social Care in Hackney, would be the new Chief Social Worker for Children and that Frontline pilots will launch this September for the first 100 graduates.

16th May 2013

SASW backs calls to rethink blanket ban on prisoners voting in referendum

SASW backed an open letter to MSPs in the Scottish Parliament expressing strong opposition to a provision of the Scottish Independence Referendum (Franchise) Bill that would bar anyone in prison from taking part in the vote.

13th May 2013

SASW Annual Report 2012

13th May 2013

BASW calls for statutory post adoption support as ministers launch 'passports' for adopters

Commenting on the New ‘Passport to Support’ for adopters, Nushra Mansuri, professional officer at the British Association of Social Workers, said: “The new “adoption passport” is a step in the right direction but we want to see post adoption support become a statutory right at any point when it is needed by adoptive families. “All the evidence shows it is crucial that adopters and the children they adopt are supported not just at the beginning of the adoption process but throughout, particularly post adoption. “While we all want to see improvements in adoption practice in England, we must never sacrifice a child’s best interests for the sake of expediency.

3rd May 2013

SASW's reservations about Children & Young People Bill

But SASW expressed concern at the potential for confusion in a separate proposal for a named person, such as a health worker, to be allocated to every child from birth “to safeguard and support their well-being”. The Association also made clear its disappointment that ministers decided not to enshrine the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into Scottish law. The headline policy within the legislation, published following months of consultation, centred on expanded funding for early learning and childcare for three and four-year-olds and looked-after two year-olds, up from 475 to 600 hours a year.

1st May 2013

NIASW hands report to minister, urging sweeping reforms to social work bureaucracy

The Northern Ireland Association of Social Workers (NIASW – part of BASW) has handed the minister responsible for social work a report containing a series of recommendations aimed at reducing the bureaucratic burdens on child care social workers. Among the 16 recommendations given to Edwin Poots are proposals that would reduce the time social workers currently spend on tasks not requiring their expertise and streamline the way information is recorded. The aim of the report, specifically requested by Mr Poots in response to NIASW’s Social Work Not Paperwork survey, is to enable social workers to spend more time with children and families and less time on wasteful bureaucratic tasks. The NIASW poll, published in November 2012, found that excessive bureaucracy was restricting child care social workers to spending less than a third of their time with users of services.

1st May 2013

BLOG: Care inquiry – We need a cultural change in how we perceive children in care

As the Care Inquiry publishes its findings of an eight-month inquiry into the care system by eight leading children’s charities, including the Fostering Network, TACT and the British Association for Adoption and Fostering, BASW professional officer Sue Kent examines the issues.

1st May 2013

Social worker among those honoured at Welsh Asian Women Achievement Awards

Welsh Asian women Achievement Awards 2013 This prestigious annual event was held at the City Hall in Cardiff on Saturday 27th April. With 280 people in attendance, there was plenty of celebration with the proceeds going to Cancer Research Wales. The Awards recognise the significant achievement in the following areas: Science, Technology & Medicine; Arts; Business; Management and Leadership; and Social and Humanitarian Amongst those honoured was Neeta Baicher, BASW Cymru’s longest serving committee member. Although not an award winner, she was one of the few finalists in the Social and Humanitarian category. This was well-deserved recognition for Neeta for all her tremendous hard work in the Asian communities in South Wales. All at BASW Cymru are proud of her achievement and are honoured by their knowledge and camaraderie with Neeta through the field of social work.

1st May 2013

Welsh National Adoption Service plans no excuse for cost-cutting

BASW Cymru welcomed the unveiling of a blueprint to create a “flagship” National Adoption Service for Wales, but warned it must not be viewed as an excuse for cost-cutting.

30th April 2013

Social work lessons for a future 'Govian' College of Teaching

Michael Gove has had a stupendously busy month, fairly cavorting his way over the top of one educational sacred cow after another. The Daily Mail’s Quentin Letts this week went so far as to describe him as “a confident piece of work, a minister in his pomp”. From overhauling exams to increasing the length of the school day, Gove’s reforming zeal proffered yet another idea yesterday when the Secretary of State called for the establishment of a Royal College of Teaching, which, he told us, would be modelled on eponymous equivalents for surgeons or paediatricians. Such a body would be responsible for “identifying, exemplifying and defining best practice in the teaching profession”. Tellingly, however, Mr Gove said such a college would also be a voice for the profession in competition with unions, which he said were dominated by a "tiny, but vocal, group of militant activists". In a desperate bid to move the debate away from the hostile and acrimonious one currently found between the Department for Education (DfE) and the NUT and NASUWT he said that the insurance and legal protection offered by trade unions could now be done by various smaller organisations “without a political agenda”. Equally, he said in his speech yesterday, the role the unions have played “as a voice for the profession can also now be done better by an alternative organisation”. Please note though that while he is a fan of a college for education, Michael Gove, is not, absolutely not, the man behind such a scheme. “The creation of a Royal College is not DfE policy – on the contrary, I’ve had nothing whatever to do with it – which is why it’s such a good idea.” Leaving aside how you define “on the contrary” and how Mr Gove defines the “growing consensus” apparently demanding such a development, this notion of what is in the best interests of teachers is one with which we in social work are now very familiar. And in fact rather than imitating those famous, august brands, the Royal College of Surgeons or the Royal College of Paediatricians, Mr Gove’s vision is likely to owe more to the altogether more prosaic College of Social Work.

26th April 2013

Half a year on, BASW survey shows most still in dark about ASYE

A BASW survey suggests widespread lack of awareness of the Assessed and Supported Year of Employment (ASYE) in England, six months on from the launch of the scheme aimed at supporting newly qualified social workers in their first year of practice. The findings mirror worries expressed by BASW members about the roll-out of the programme and the impact public sector cutbacks are having on the ability of social services departments to deliver it. One in five of the 182 respondents to the survey said they were not at all familiar with ASYE and two out of five were only “somewhat familiar”. Half a year after the launch of ASYE, 60% had no or little awareness of the programme while only 17% said they were very

25th April 2013