With the worsening war in Ukraine and the refugee crisis building day by day, BASW is continuing to work with colleagues across Europe and add our voice and influence to bring pressure on the UK Government to insist it provides urgent humanitarian routes for refugees from Ukraine, in line with our position of promoting human rights for all refugees and asylum seekers.
We stand in solidarity with Ukraine and all affected communities and countries.
We will continue to provide regular updates for members and share the latest resources from partners.
Please do keep checking this page for our latest updates.
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- Statements, information and resources by BASW partners
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Headlines
- Social Work and the war in Ukraine - update 18th May 2022. Ukraine and other wars, general update, creating new guidance, experiences of social work across borders (IFSW report) and Roma in Ukraine
- BASW is creating social worker guidance to support the role of social work in refugee crisis. Any members interested in helping with developing, drafting or providing feedback on social worker guidance, please email policyadmin@basw.co.uk
- On 6 April BASW wrote to Michael Gove, Secretary of State, who is currently charged with responsibility for Ukrainian refugees, expressing our concerns with the delays, safeguarding, and the support available in the UK for Ukrainian refugees. We are still awaiting a response.
- BASW is holding a regular online member meeting on Ukraine to share concerns, ideas and longer-term plans. Any member can ask to be kept informed of specific developments by emailing us or let us know if you would like to attend the meetings policyadmin@basw.co.uk
- Social workers are on the front-line of the Ukrainian refugee crisis in Poland, the Slovak Republic, Hungary, Romania and Moldova. The International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) is the world-wide body that represents national social work organisations. At the request of the Secretary General of the IFSW, BASW members overseeing the use of our International Development Fund (IDF) have decided to donate £10,000 to the fund established by IFSW for resources to go directly to social workers in Ukraine and to support the coordinating and support activities of colleagues at the borders.
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Following our statement on 23rd March 2022, BASW asked for a follow up question in the Westminster Parliament on further details of safeguarding checks on those who have offered their homes to arriving refugees. On 28 March Alex Cunningham MP, who put the question forward after discussion with BASW, received a response. The answer echoes previous Government announcements. Read the full response here. BASW understands from members working in local authority settings that some safeguarding checks are being carried out on households welcoming Ukrainians. We will provide further updates on this.
BASW statements and action
- Social Work and the war in Ukraine - update 18th May 2022. Ukraine and other wars, general update, creating new guidance, experiences of social work across borders (IFSW report) and Roma in Ukraine
- BASW latest update on Ukraine (6 May 2021)
- BASW's latest update can be read here (27 April 2022)
- SASW Ukraine Updates (6 April 2022)
- BASW update on Ukraine (6th April 2022)
- Invasion of Ukraine – BASW statement update (23 March 2022)
- BASW statement on the war in Ukraine (16 March 2022)
- Ukrainian Refugee Crisis: BASW writes to Home Office urging Government to scale up response (11 March 2022)
- BASW This Week in Westminster: War in Ukraine, Nationality and Borders Bill, Human Rights Act (8 March 2022)
- BASW's initial statement - shared on 24 February 2022
Resources
- Information for Ukrainian refugees. Coming to the UK: Information for Ukrainian refugees (16 March 2022)
- Download resource for social workers: Responding to humanitarian crisis – the role of social workers during disasters. (BASW England)
- Call for social work voices on Ukraine. PSW magazine and BASW provide platform to hear from social workers and people they support affected by the tragedy
- BASW member and international social work podcaster David Niven has created ‘Voices from Ukraine’ podcasts which can be downloaded from his website
Statements, information and resources by BASW partners
International Federation of Social workers (IFSW).
Statement by the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW): MILITARY AGGRESSION IN UKRAINE
The IFSW has put a call out for funds to support volunteer social work efforts in in the main refugee countries (where there may be fewer state funded social work services able to respond to need).
> Read more: IFSW share lessons from the frontline of the Ukraine refugee crisis
Conference of International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGOs)
BASW is supporting an open letter from the President of the Conference of International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGOs) on the war against Ukraine in solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
“As the Conference of INGOs we condemn this act of violence and are in solidarity with the people of Ukraine, as well as the people in Russia and Belarus who stand up against their criminal and un-lawful governments and protest against an unjust war, risking their freedom, health and lives in defending the values of the Council of Europe.” Ruth Allen, BASW CEO is the official representative for the International Federation of Social Work Europe who are members of the Conference of INGOs.The Conference of International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGOs) is a representative body which has participatory status with the Council of Europe.
The Social Workers Union (SWU)
SWU in solidarity with Ukraine. The Social Workers Union (SWU) stands in solidarity with Ukrainian people and the brave Russian people who have been protesting this war.
THE IRISH ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS (IASW)
Actions members can take
BASW suggests the following actions that many members could take at a local level:
- Find out who is coordinating support and safeguarding visits for Ukraine refugees in your local authority area and find out what advice is available for refugees and hosts
- If none is available or it is inadequate, raise this with the relevant managers/leaders
- If refugees are coming to your area, find out how safeguarding checks for adults and children are being done and alert local refugee and safeguarding leads to the risks of the ‘social media’ ‘matching’ scheme
- Check whether there are arrangements being put in place to support hosts and if not, suggest this to local coordinators
- See if there is planning in place to protect people in cases of hosting arrangements break down
- Reach out to Ukrainian community support organisations and see if you can provide information or signpost them to further help and resources, whether statutory or voluntary
- Write to your MP and/or local Councillors about local and/or national concerns. Let BASW know what response you get.
We will continue to develop the advice and suggestions for members and also get and share feedback from members about the actions they are taking.
How you can support
Many members have asked for information of how they can support Ukrainian people and others affected by the war. Here are some useful links:
- UKRAINE HUMANITARIAN APPEAL. Disasters Emergency Committee
- British Red Cross - Ukraine crisis appeal
- European Roma Grassroots Organisation is supporting the Ukraine based NGO called Roma Women Fund Chiricli in raising funds to ensure that the Roma community has the same access to humanitarian support as the rest of the population.
- Médecins Sans Frontières Doctors without Borders have launched an appeal for their work in Ukraine and surrounding countries. Find out more & donate here
- Sunflower of Peace - medical and humanitarian aid for people affected by violence in Ukraine
- United Help Ukraine
- The Voices of Children Foundation
- Russian community association - focus on working with the Russian ethnic minorities in the UK
- An open letter: the UK must give safe passage to those fleeing war in Ukraine has been developed.
- Reset. Communities and Refugees.
- unicef
Government advice on Ukraine refugee schemes
England
- Homes for Ukraine: guidance for councils
- The Local Government Association in England has dedicated pages for Ukrainian Refugee issues
Scotland
- Scottish Government guidance is here
- Scotland Welcoming Ukrainians to the United Kingdom (updated at 2pm on 21 March 2022) – SPICe Spotlight | Solas air SPICe (spice-spotlight.scot)
Both Scotland and Wales have decided upon additional assistance measures and their Governments can be listed as sponsors under the sponsorship scheme.
Wales
- Welsh/Cymru Government guidance for everyone is here
- New Welcome Ticket schemes to help refugees and people from Ukraine integrate into Wales (8 May 22)
- See also guidance for local authorities in Wales
- Wales A “Team Wales” welcome for Ukraine people | GOV.WALES
Northern Ireland
#IStandwithUkraine #StopWar.