News Articles
Search and read social work related news articles across a range of topics
Scotland’s children’s minister uses SASW event to attack welfare reforms
Scotland’s children’s minister Aileen Campbell used the Scottish Association of Social Work’s (SASW’s) annual awards event to call on Prime Minister David Cameron to rethink welfare reforms, which she said will unfairly impact upon the most vulnerable. Speaking at the SASW Awards in Edinburgh on World Social Work Day yesterday, she warned there was a lot of “heartache” ahead.
20th March 2013
Welfare reform 'tsunami' calls for us to be good neighbours says Scottish social services head
A new form of Neighbourhood Watch is needed to look out for the most vulnerable as they are hit by a “tsunami” of welfare reform, one of Scotland’s leading social services directors warned.
20th March 2013
BASW – World Social Work day challenges us to find new ways of working together
Speaking at a celebration event in Westminster later today, BASW Interim Chief Executive Bridget Robb will tell an audience of MPs and social work professionals that money is not the answer to all of the current problems faced by local authority services and make a plea for both sides to work together.
18th March 2013
International Women’s Day – Deeds not words needed on domestic violence say BASW
BASW has responded to comments made by home secretary Theresa May that the Government “can only do so much” and that people must speak out against violence against women and girls, with a reminder that cuts to services are leaving many unprotected.
8th March 2013
BASW: Ministers must understand that the situation for many social workers is deteriorating not improving
BASW has responded to education secretary Michael Gove’s assertion that the current social work reform agenda will enable social workers to spend the time they need with at risk children by calling for more far reaching reforms of practice, training and funding.
6th March 2013
Social work inquiry: Service users suffering as traditional social work replaced by “managing crisis”
The need for a relationship-based approach to social work practice is greater than ever but public sector cuts are reducing the role of social workers to little more than one of “managing crisis”. That was the message to MPs from social workers working in mental health at the final All Party Parliamentary Group on Social Work inquiry into the state of the profession.
5th March 2013
APPG inquiry: Fears over welfare of ‘lost’ patients as cuts bite on social work in hospitals
Brain injury patients are at risk of ending up on the streets or entering the criminal justice system once they leave hospital because over-stretched social care departments are struggling to support them, a Senior Social Worker warned. The concern was one of a range raised by hospital-based social workers giving evidence to MPs on adult social care at the third session of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Social Work’s inquiry into the state of the profession. Their testimonials underline findings from BASW’s State of Social Work survey last year highlighting the severe pressures facing the profession.
5th March 2013
Image problem is still an issue, MPs hear
Social workers still suffer from an image problem, MPs were told by a social worker at the All Party Parliamentary Group on Social Work’s inquiry into the state of the profession. The social worker, who preferred not to divulge her identity, said the profession needed to work hard to sell itself. She said the term ‘social worker’ has some very negative connotations with service users and carers despite, in many situations, providing a good service.
5th March 2013
BASW – We need a sensible debate on welfare reform, not underhand attacks on benefit claimants
In a Huffington Post blog, BASW’s press officer assesses how the media is being used to promote the government’s proposals on welfare reform by demonising benefit claimants such as mum of 11 Heather Frost. Ms Frost hit the headlines after claims that she has demanded a £400,000 ‘eco mansion’ be built by Tewkesbury council.
21st February 2013
BLOG: Children must not pay price of targets to reduce time on care proceedings
BASW professional officer Sue Kent examines the issues raised by a new report from the Child Protection All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), that highlights a family courts system under extreme pressure.
13th February 2013
BASW: Professionals must get over their unease about sexualised behaviour in children
As a study from HM inspectorate of Probation of 24 male sex offenders, (10 of whom were minors) indicates that early signs of future sexual offending were missed in the majority of cases, BASW highlights a culture of ‘unease’ amongst professionals about the sexualised behaviour of some young children, that must be addressed by adequate provision of training and services.
7th February 2013
BASW: Empowered social workers must be at heart of children & families reforms
As children’s minister Edward Timpson today introduces the Children and Families bill to parliament, BASW issues a reminder to government that social workers need more help to keep families together, and that an obsessive focus on adoption is not the cure to all of society’s ills.
5th February 2013
Kent’s improved, but cuts hurting children nationally
Ofsted has reclassified Kent's children's services from "inadequate" to "adequate" after a two-year £30million improvement drive but BASW warned Government cuts are putting children at risk across the country.
16th January 2013
BLOG: Troubled families? Or troubled stats?
Writing in the Huffington Post, BASW's press officer debunks the stats being used to promote the Troubled Families initiative.
19th December 2012
Deskilling" youth justice social workers a threat to reducing reoffending, MPs told
Recent successes in reducing crime and reoffending rates across England and Wales could be jeopardised by cuts to the youth justice service and by the marginalisation of the social work role, MPs were told. The second evidence gathering session of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Social Work heard from a senior social worker in a youth offending team, Iain Brown, who said there was a serious risk of “deskilling” social workers who had made a big impact on crime rates among young people.
7th December 2012
Autumn statement: Bridget Robb - Don’t ask social workers to save lives with no resources
As Chancellor George Osborne unveils his autumn statement, BASW acting chief executive Bridget Robb considers the implications for social workers in a blog for Community Care.
5th December 2012
Survey finds social workers in Northern Ireland stymied by bureaucracy overload
Northern Ireland social workers doing 20-60 extra hours a month as paperwork takes its toll
29th November 2012
BASW highlights damaging 'draconian' culture as Doncaster receives critical report
Concerns such as those highlighted today over failing children’s services at Doncaster will remain unless bureaucracy is reduced and cuts reversed to allow social workers to do their job, warned BASW’s chief executive Bridget Robb.
16th November 2012
Gove right not to blame individuals or care system but removing more children from home is no panacea
Commenting on a speech on child protection given by Education Secretary Michael Gove MP at the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) that advocated an expansion in the care system, with more children taken into care more quickly, BASW has called for careful assessment of the long-term needs of children, backed by better resources to do this vital work.
16th November 2012
MPs listen to concerns from social work frontline
MPs acknowledge "crisis" in social work after professional testimonials underline concerns raised in BASW's State of Social Work survey.
7th November 2012
