News Articles
Search and read social work related news articles across a range of topics
World Social Work Day: Social workers have a vital role to play in reducing inequality
The vital role that social workers play in reducing inequality was the clear message sounded at BASW’s event to mark World Social Work Day in Westminster.
20th March 2013
BASW: Treat children in care as individuals, not criminals
As a new report from MPs claims the youth justice system is currently failing children in care and care leavers, BASW has reiterated the need to treat looked after children as individuals. The report by the Commons' Justice Committee said vulnerable children were being drawn into the criminal justice system in a way that those from family homes were not. Committee chairman, Lib Dem MP Sir Alan Beith, commented that the committee had even heard one example where police had been called to a children's home to investigate a broken cup.
14th 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
Butler-Sloss praised for hearing BASW’s concerns on adoption reform
The British Association of Social Workers (BASW) has issued strong support for today's comments by Baroness Butler-Sloss, Chair of the House of Lords Select Committee on Adoption Legislation, who has taken on board the message from social work that the Government's focus on driving up the number of adoptions should not ignore the need for better post-adoption support, more accurate data on adoption breakdown and the reality that adoption is not suitable for all children.
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
Bridget Robb - Social workers at Mid Staffs must ask why they didn't blow the whistle
Writing for the Guardian Social Care Network, BASW's acting chief executive Bridget Robb explains why the Mid Staffs NHS scandal is also a disgrace shared by the social work profession.
6th 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
Minister Poots backs NIASW poll and invites Association to outline changes
NIASW held a very successful meeting with Minister for Health, Edwin Poots, on 14 January to discuss the Association's recent survey of Northern Ireland practitioners, ‘Social Work not Paperwork’. Commenting on the talks, NIASW Manager Carolyn Ewart said: "The minister supported our view that the findings of our poll indicate an unacceptable imbalance in the time spent on paperwork and actually visiting children and families, and that this must change.
17th January 2013
BLOG – deregistration threat to social work role should not be ignored
Following reports that 8,425 from an estimated 88,000 social workers have not registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) in England, BASW professional officer Joe Godden is calling for action to prevent an erosion of social work identity.
10th 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
MP inquiry hears how adoption targets will lead to rushed assessments and increased risks to children
The imposition of six month targets for placing children in care for adoption will lead to rushed and inadequate assessments, potentially making the process too fast for would-be adopters and open to abuse by predatory paedophiles. This was the message to MPs at the second evidence gathering session of an inquiry by the All Party Parliamentary Committee on Social Work into the state of the profession.
9th 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
MPs hear how social workers struggle with backlogs akin to "M25 at rush hour"
The second stage of an inquiry by MPs into the state of social work heard a wave of additional evidence from frontline social workers about why child protection practice is in a parlous condition and how new government adoption targets could deepen the crisis. Experienced practising social workers told the All Party Parliamentary Committee on Social Work how they and their colleagues regularly work late to deal with backlogs akin to “the M25 at rush hour” and reported a serious “disconnect” between centrally driven initiatives and the reality of life for professionals who just don’t have the time to find out what it all means.
30th November 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
