We value contributions from social workers across all areas of practice throughout the UK and from service users.
As well as our six annual editions of PSW magazine received by all BASW members and a targeted circulation list, we can also get your work published via our online platform and distributed through our ebulletin.
PSW magazine includes feature-length articles which can either be two-page spreads of no more than 1,300 words in length or a single page of 700 words. We also publish comment pieces – ‘viewpoints’ where someone expresses a strong view on a particular issue.
Our writing style is magazine rather than academic, which means concise, engaging and lively with only brief references, in the text, to any sources and bullet points and lists kept to a minimum.
The content must be targeted at a social work audience and focused on relevant information connected to the social work profession, whether concerning practice or societal issues, topical or notable developments in policies, guidance or legislation.
We also welcome personal reflections from practice, lessons learned, top tips, book, TV, film and radio reviews and letters to the editor.
Guidance for article contributors
General guidance
In the first instance, please get in touch using the contact information below to discuss article suggestions.
It is helpful for contributors to provide a brief biography to identify themselves, and their credentials in writing for PSW, to the magazine’s readership.
Please note that the editor reserves the right to make style changes in keeping with the rest of the magazine’s content but where any major amendments are made, or in circumstances where content or meaning may be in any way affected, we will always seek to confirm these with the contributor prior to publication.
To submit articles or to discuss ideas email editor@basw.co.uk or call Shahid Naqvi on 07747 845098.
Article contributions from people who use services
Your voice is important
We strongly believe in the importance of hearing the voices of people who use services: you are, after all, ultimately what social work is about and who it’s for.
As such, we encourage and welcome articles written by service users that are relevant to social work. You are the experts of your life and there is much to learn from your lived experience.
At the same time, we recognise it can be daunting writing – or being interviewed – for a magazine and you may not always feel confident to do so.
We seek to break down such barriers and inhibitions, by working with you. Everyone has something to say - and we can help you say it.
You may have an experience about your life you want to tell or share. It might be a good experience of social work to be celebrated – something not heard often enough! Or it might be a not so good experience to learn from - telling these is crucial to raising awareness and improving practice and services.
It could be an insight into the struggles and challenges you face due to the particular circumstances of your life.
How we can help
We can provide a platform for you to be heard. If you want to write an article, we will help you write it. We will work with you on structure, content and grammar through an editing process.
The first step is to get in touch and tell us your idea using the contact information below. If you know you want to write something but are not entirely sure what, that’s fine too, we can discuss ideas.
Don’t worry if your first draft isn’t perfect. If we decide to go ahead, we will work with you until everyone is happy with the finished result. We will never publish anything without your consent.
If you would rather tell your account verbally we can arrange to interview you over the phone or by video chat.
We can’t promise we will publish everything but we will consider anything.
So please get in touch with any ideas you have, we really want to hear from you. Just drop an email to editor@basw.co.uk or phone Shahid Naqvi on 07747 845098 to discuss.