Speaking up for social workers will be crucial as we head into New Year
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Published by Professional Social Work magazine, 16 November 2022
BASW’s role in speaking up for social workers and the people they work with will be crucial over the next year, leaders of the association have said.
Addressing delegates at the Annual Members Meeting chief executive Ruth Allen said: “BASW is its members and all that you do to support each other and to support BASW's mission for social workers for a fairer society makes a difference to the profession and to the communities that we live in every day.
“We've got major cost of living and workforce challenges and this is putting untold pressures onto services and communities.
“The solidarity and unity, the commitment that members in England are showing is essential. It will make a great difference to us all to get us through these difficult times, to come out of it stronger and to pursue the development of the association and the development of social work.”
Julia Ross, chair of BASW, urged members to keep positive despite difficult times ahead, saying: “I commend your forward-looking determination to strengthen social work at a time when our public services are in crisis.
“They will continue to be in crisis, and so our work will become ever more essential. We will call out weakness when we see it and challenge it at all times and at all levels. We will also build on our strengths and expert knowledge to build a better society through growing our professional foundations.
“We must be proud and determined to stand up to injustice and in particular the challenges of today's cost of living crisis and the huge impact that that has had on the people we are here to serve.”
She added that now is the time to focus on increasing BASW membership to strengthen its voice in the future.
“Social work is all about change, growth and moving forward,” she said. “Now, I believe it's time for us to move forward at a faster pace.
“We are no longer a new profession. We must take our place alongside our friends and colleagues in other professions including nursing, medical, psychiatric and teaching. It’s only I believe, by doing this, that we can build on our strengths and move forward a pace.”
“We must increase our reach and therefore our membership. And we must become younger, more vibrant and more diverse. So how can we do this together? What about the pledge from every member here to bring a new member on board in 2023? That way we can double our voice and our membership overnight.”