The British Association of Social Workers is extremely disappointed to report that The College of Social Work (TCSW) has decided that it is not possible to create a unified organisation for social...
The British Association of Social Workers (BASW) strongly welcomes today’s report into why professionals in the Rochdale area failed to stop the sexual abuse of young girls, between 2007 and 2011....
Yesterday the Social Workers Union (SWU) Executive agreed that the duties of the General Secretary shall be carried out by the Acting Assistant General Secretary, David Allan, during the period of...
As the Children’s Society publishes a critical report of the UK Border Agency’s practices when dealing with asylum seeking children, BASW has condemned the lack of legal advice, advocacy and specific...
As the recently ousted care services minister today launched an attack on the Treasury for a lack of political will on funding care reform, BASW is today urging the government to stop “dithering” and...
BASW has questioned the extent to which councils in England understand the role of social work, in the wake of a government backed report which reveals that more than a third of council leaders and...
It may have meant the loss of their carpark but social workers at Leicester City Council aren’t complaining.
As the Council of Europe’s GRETA (Group of Experts on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings) today releases a report on trafficked children, BASW is supporting GRETA’s call for better services...
BASW is urging social workers to use today’s World Suicide Prevention Day to begin confronting taboos about suicide and depression, as a preventative film is launched with part funding from the...
Ahead of Joan Bakewell’s BBC Panorama investigation of older people’s drinking habits, BASW has launched a guide aimed at spotting the signs of alcohol abuse, and expressed concern that the excesses...
BASW has responded to the appointment of Edward Timpson MP as new children’s minister and Norman Lamb MP as care services minister by urging them to learn the lessons their predecessors refused to...
Last week saw public attention drawn to the launch of a new “name and shame” website aimed at “exposing the truth” about social workers and their penchant for unjustly removing children from their...
BASW has expressed serious concern after the emergence of a new website aimed at ‘naming and shaming’ social workers who are involved in child protection work – particularly cases involving the...
BASW has countered a report by public spending watchdog The Audit Commission, which suggests the adult social care funding gap could be plugged by using unqualified staff to complete assessments,...
BASW has warned that proposed changes to child protection guidance may exacerbate the risk of abuse faced by disabled children, as Ofsted publish a new study of 173 cases in 12 local authorities,...
BASW is urging members to contribute to an important consultation to develop clinical practice guidance on children and young people with psychosis or schizophrenia, for use in the NHS in England,...
BASW England manager Ruth Cartwright responds to today’s press reports of a government U-turn on social care funding for the elderly.
BASW has welcomed moves to empower social workers and other professionals to confront cases of “witchcraft abuse”, following the publication of the government’s national action plan to tackle child...
Following the Winterbourne View serious case review, BASW is urging the government to impose statutory regulation on the employment of care staff, so that the proposed Code of Conduct can be properly...
Following today’s publication of the serious case review on Winterbourne View, the private hospital where abuse of patients with learning disabilities was uncovered through secret filming by the BBC...
BASW has debunked the Institute of Psychiatry’s (IoP) explanation of its decision to scrap the MSc Mental Health Social Work, accusing the Institute of putting profit before good practice.
Read BASW’s latest Huffington Post blog on Shafilea Ahmed’s parents being found guilty of her murder
Ahead of tomorrow’s five year anniversary of the tragic death of Baby Peter Connolly, BASW has renewed its call for the government to make child protection a priority and support professionals...
BASW is ‘optimistic’ about the future of social worker registration following today’s move of regulation of social workers in England from the General Social Care Council to the Health and Care...
BASW has welcomed the recognition by government adviser Louise Casey that many so called “troubled” families need to be better understood and worked with, rather than lectured, but questioned why she...
BASW England's Joe Godden considers the impact of law changes proposed in the adult care white paper on assessments, eligibility and more.
BASW has described proposed changes to the legislation underpinning adult social care, part of the government’s care and support white paper published on 11 July, as having the potential to make life...
BASW and its trade union arm the Social Workers Union (SWU) has described the closure of half of Remploy’s factories, which offer work for disabled people “an act of vandalism”.
BASW is calling for the immediate implementation of the extra funding proposed by the Dilnot Commission and for the government to entrench reforms of social care by giving social workers a definitive...
The General Medical Council’s (GMC) pledge to back doctors who report suspected child abuse, even if their fears are later proved groundless, has been endorsed by BASW.
BASW has endorsed a report by three UK children’s charities which warns that the number of children living in vulnerable families in Britain is likely to rise to over one million by 2015.
Commenting on government plans to compel councils to consider placing children with approved adopters and remove what ministers have described as “groundless doubts about whether ‘Fostering for...
Students and newly qualified social workers (NQSWs) could win one of six £50 Amazon vouchers if they take part in BASW’s 2012 annual survey of their experiences of training, supervision and...
Among the 17 local authorities to respond to BASW’s State of Social Work survey at the time of going to press, many accepted that social workers were under pressure, particularly in children’s...
BASW has called for radical improvement to current residential care facilities, and a right for children to be cared for near to their own communities, following reforms announced by Children’s...
The Health Professions Council (HPC) has published new proficiency standards for social workers in England ahead of assuming regulatory responsibility for the profession from the General Social Care...
An assessment of 11 years in the life of the soon to be deceased General Social Care Council has shown an overwhelmingly female profession in England, a mixed racial background and an average age of...
The Health Professions Council (HPC) has responded to significant concerns about its abolition of student registration by launching a new ‘suitability scheme’ to oversee education providers in the...
BASW members used the Association’s Annual General Meeting to unanimously reaffirm support for ongoing negotiations with The College of Social Work (TCSW), with the aim of securing a unified UK...
A motion proposing greater BASW transparency in “opening up its business to members” was passed unanimously.
BASW’s trade union arm the Social Workers Union is dealing with increasing calls from members as escalating workplace challenges impact on working conditions, prompting the Association to launch a...
BASW’s Social Workers Educational Trust awarded £14,000 worth of grants for applicants seeking to further their learning during 2010/11
BASW’s AGM concluded with the award of Honorary Life Membership to three longstanding members for their dedication and contribution to BASW’s work over the past 40 years.
BASW chief executive Hilton Dawson offered a glowing analysis of the Association’s current state in his annual report to members.
A collection of news articles and updates from the 2012 BASW AGM.
BASW has increased the funding it provides for social workers facing financial difficulty, as evidence grows that more and more hard-up professionals are falling into debt.
The General Social Care Council (GSCC) has marked its imminent demise by publishing a poll in which more than half of all social work respondents named ‘protection of title’ as the policy which has...
Three global organizations join forces to make an impact on social development. The three international social work, education and social development bodies have committed to working together with...
BASW has described government proposals to slim down child protection guidance as “disingenuous”.
BASW’s 2012 Annual Conference will take place on 14 June, pursuing the following themes: 1. The implications for the profession of the BASW’s State of Social Work survey 2. The latest situation in...
Commenting on plans to be unveiled tomorrow by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles that all 152 top-level councils in England will be incentivised to send in “trouble-shooters” to deal with problem...
New figures released by the NSPCC show that reports of neglect to its helpline have doubled over the last two years to reach record levels.
Commenting on new research from Cafcass that claims that local authorities are acting more quickly to process care applications.
Gillie Christou and Maria Ward , two social workers involved in the case of Baby Peter Connelly, have lost their appeal against an employment tribunal ruling that they were fairly sacked, prompting...
Commenting on Professor Eileen Munro’s progress report into the review of the child protection system.
BASW member Janet Foulds has written a Guardian blog "Child grooming – what social workers should know".
Read BASW’s latest Huffington Post blog Our social workers are cleaning toilets instead of protecting children.
BASW has called for a “sustained governmental commitment” to child protection following the publication of a serious case review examining the circumstances prior to the murder of five-year-old Tyler...
BASW has expressed concern at the government’s publication of adoption scorecards, which rank local authorities on how long children in their care wait to be adopted.
BASW has responded to media stories about social workers standing in the way of adopted parents being able to change the name of the children they adopt by emphasising the importance of maintaining...