World Social Work Day takes place on 18 March 2025. This year’s theme is ‘Strengthening Intergenerational Solidarity for Enduring Wellbeing’, which emphasises the importance of caring and respecting across generations to build strong societies, sustain the environment, and share wisdom for a better future.

As the UK’s independent voice of social work, we are proud to host a full month of activities and events to promote and celebrate our profession during March as part of World Social Work Month.
World Social Work Month will bring together leading voices in social work along with experts by experience through a programme of events and initiatives.
Take part in a programme of activity that presents a unique opportunity to come together as a profession - across borders, languages and cultures.
World Social Work Month Events Programme 2025
(18th March 2025) Intergenerational support in action in the community: exploring family-based care and support provision
Tuesday, 18 March 2025 - 12:00pm to 1:30pm
For World Social World Day, 2025 we are going to be focusing on the Intergenerational support in action in the community and exploring family-based care and support provision.
In this session we will explore family-based models of support such as foster care and shared lives.
We will explore the benefits and strengths of these models from the perspectives of Social Workers, Foster & Shared Lives Carers and the children, young people and adults who benefit by living with another family, particularly for people from minority communities.
(18th March 2025) Talk to SWU on World Social Work Day
Tuesday, 18 March 2025 - 6:00pm to 7:00pm
All social workers and social work students & apprentices in the UK are welcome to attend this free online advice and representation session.
SWU's panel of Advice & Representation Trade Union Officers will be on hand to answer live questions from attendees about any social work workplace issues they are experiencing. This session will also focus on discussing health and safety challenges in social work.
The webinar is set up so that questions are asked anonymously. If you would like to submit a question in advance you may include it at the bottom of this registration form.
(18th March 2025) IFSW Europe Webinar: Social work in Europe across the generations
Tuesday, 18 March 2025 - 4:30pm to 6:00pm
The IFSW theme for World Social Work Day 2025 is Strengthening Intergenerational Solidarity for Enduring Wellbeing.
The webinar will discuss:
- Why an intergenerational perspective in social work is so important now
- How social workers can support each other across the generations
- Examples of intergenerational social work practice in Europe.
- Consider and celebrate the transformational power of intergenerational approaches
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
(19th March 2025) BASW Cymru's Annual Conference for 2025: Tomorrow’s World: What lies ahead for Social Work in Wales?
Wednesday, 19 March 2025 - 9:00am to 4:30pm
This one-day conference aims to bring together practitioners, managers, students and anyone working in social work, to focus upon ‘Tomorrow’s World: What lies ahead for Social Work in Wales’. What will social work look like in the next 10 years and what do we need to focus on to continue to meet the needs of individuals and our society?
From the mental health impact arising from climate change to the developments in Artificial Intelligence, through to changes in working practices resulting from societal shifts and advancements; this one-day conference aims to stimulate debate and develop tangible actions for change.
BASW Cymru invites you to be part of this change. To share your experiences, your vison and ideas for the future and together, we will develop a manifesto for change promoting social work as the profession at the heart of communities, facilitating social connections, social cohesion, supporting families and individuals.
Speakers confirmed include: Dawn Bowden MS, Minister for Children & Social Care; Professor Fiona Verity, Brunel University; Ian Rees, Consultant Social Worker, NPT; Verity Bennett, Researcher, Cardiff University; Experts by Experience
(20th March 2025) SASW Supporting Young People Seeking Asylum in the UK: A Look at Social Work in Our Communities
Thursday, 20 March 2025 - 12:00pm to 1:30pm
Supporting Young Asylum Seekers in the UK: A Look at Social Work in Our Communities
The Scottish Association of Social Work (SASW) warmly invites social workers across the UK to come together and reflect on compassionate, community-based practices that can help unaccompanied children seeking asylum thrive. Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) make up almost a third of the care community in Scotland. This rapid development has left many social workers feeling uncertain about their practice with these children and the complex legal context they face. We want to celebrate the incredible work already being done and highlight the richness that social work brings to the lives of these young people. Despite the challenges, there are countless examples of social workers putting children at the heart of their practice. As social work continues to evolve in our globalised world, lets learn from these stories and focus on how we can make a positive impact in the lives of these resilient young individuals.
(20th March 2025) BASW UK Student Conference
Thursday, 20 March 2025 - 10:00am to 7:30pm
BASW UK Student Conference 2025
Calling all social work students! We are looking forward to an action packed programme of presentations and workshops.
Taking place throughout the day into early evening, you can dip in and out of sessions to suit your study / work / life commitments.
Designed by students for students - don't miss out on this opportunity to connect, learn and get support to empower your university journey.
(21st March 2025) Learning across continents: exploring social work practice in Jordan and Northern Ireland
Friday, 21 March 2025 - 12:30pm to 2:00pm
Learning across continents: exploring social work practice in Jordan and Northern Ireland
Join us to celebrate World Social Work Day as we continue to discover the differences and similarities of social work practice in these 2 countries.
This workshop, which is a result of our 5-year partnership with Jordan, will be an introduction to our different cultures and will present opportunities for shared learning as we hear about a day in life of a child-care social worker from each country.
(24th March 2025) Assisted Dying: What’s being proposed and how does that affect social workers?
Monday, 24 March 2025 - 12:00pm - 1:00pm
The UK Parliament is currently considering legislation for England and Wales that would allow assisted dying. Similar legislation is before the Scottish Parliament.
Both sets of legislation have a potential impact on social work. Mental capacity is key to assisted dying as is adult safeguarding – both key social work responsibilities.
This one-hour session will cover what the legislation is currently proposing, followed by questions and discussion with a panel.
Booking link will be live here shortly.
(26th March 2025) Regional Social Work Awards 2025, Western Health & Social Care Trust
Wednesday 26th March 2025
The regional awards, which are being hosted by the Western Health and Social Care Trust (Western Trust), will take place on Wednesday 26th March 2025 at the Manor House Hotel, Enniskillen.
The regional social work awards celebrates the exceptional work and dedication of social workers across Northern Ireland. There are eight award categories, all designed to acknowledge the breadth of social work and the individuals who have dedicated themselves to the profession.
IFSW discussing the theme for World Social Work Day 2025It is rooted in the Global Agenda and emphasises the need for social workers to adopt innovative, community-led approaches that are grounded in indigenous wisdom and harmonious coexistence with nature.
History of World Social Work Day
"World Social Work Day is a celebration that aims to highlight the achievements of social work, to raise the visibility of social services for the future of societies, and to defend social justice and human rights. Every year, World Social Work Day is celebrated the third Tuesday of March, it is a celebration that has become a highpoint in the social work calendar with social workers all over the world celebrating and promoting the contributions of the profession to individuals, families, communities and wider society". IFSW website. Find out about the history of World Social Work Day on the IFSW website.
BASW UK CEO, Dr Ruth Allen
Looking back - World Social Work Month highlights
An anti-racist Wales through a social work lens- with the Cymru Anti Racist Network. Podcast.
A special episode was released on the 'Let's Talk Social Work' podcast webpage
Focusing on the distinct Welsh context, this podcast will not only look back at Wales’s history but future too. We are proud to have the longest settling Somali population in the UK and celebrate our richness in culture, diversity, and inclusion.
This podcast will also address recent developments, such as the development of rights-based approaches in social policy and legislation, the mandatory inclusion of black history in education and the Welsh Government’s aim to becoming an anti-racist nation by 2050.
We will explore the importance of language and culture in our practice and how we must focus our attention on these to promote inclusion for everyone.
Wales has long been a nation of sanctuary and we will look at its national response to refugees and discuss how racially based differences in overseas conflicts are addressed which will mean exploring where there is public outrage and where there is silence and why.
Social Work in Zones of Conflict. Podcast.
An episode released on the 'Let's Talk Social Work' podcast webpage
Across the world social workers practice in situations of armed conflict, or deal with the aftermath of armed conflict. Dr Rea Maglajic, a social worker and researcher has written extensively on the subject and will be joined by Professor Janet Walker (Chair of BASW’s International Committee) and other guests to discuss what we know about social work in zones of armed conflict and dealing with the aftermath. There will be a time of solidarity as part of the event to acknowledge those social workers who practice in zones of armed conflict.
An evening with Margaret Humphreys (2021)
View a recording of 'An evening with Margaret Humphreys'
Speakers
Margaret Humphreys CBE, AO is the International Director and Founder of the Child Migrants Trust. Born and educated in Nottingham, Margaret Humphreys has been employed as a qualified Social Worker throughout most of her working life. After developing a pioneering approach to post- adoption work, Dr Humphreys established Nottingham’s only international, humanitarian charity in 1987 - the Child Migrants Trust.
Over the past 30 years, Dr Humphreys has made frequent working visits to Australia. Margaret Humphreys’ work on behalf of former Child Migrants who were sent abroad from Britain as young, vulnerable children, often without the knowledge of their parents, has reached an extremely wide audience through her many T.V. and radio appearances in Britain, Europe, the U.S.A. and Australia.
Jim Loach was born in north London in 1969 and studied philosophy at University College, intending to pursue a career in journalism. He joined the BBC, where he worked as a researcher and producer and eventually won a place on the BBC director’s course. Jim got his first break directing in 1996 while working on the British current affairs programme World in Action. He went on to direct episodes of Coronation Street in 2000, and subsequently Bad Girls, Hotel Babylon and Shameless.
Jim made his feature debut in 2011 with Oranges and Sunshine. Written by Rona Munro, it starred Emily Watson as Margaret Humphreys, the social worker who exposed the scandal of child migration from the United Kingdom. He was nominated for the Golden Marc'Aurelio Award at the 2010 Rome Film Festival and the film scored over twenty nominations, including the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards for Best Film, the AFI Member’s Choice Award and Australian Film Critics Association Award for Best Australian Film. It also picked up a succession of Best Actress awards for Emily Watson and Best Supporting Actor awards for Hugo Weaving and David Wenham.
BASW want to help raise awareness of the work that continues for former child migrants and raise funds for Margaret’s amazing charity ‘The Child Migrants Trust’.