2022 in Review

The SASW team looks back on 2022….

The year started with the inaugural meeting of the cross-party group on social work. SASW provides the secretariat for the group which aims to amplify the voice of Scotland’s social workers in parliament and positively raise the profile of the profession. The group has met three times this year, covering topics such as access to care and support and the proposed National Care Service. This has already given rise to several parliamentary questions and dialogue with Scottish Minsters. Anyone can join the group- please contact cpgsocialwork@basw.co.uk

In February, we held our annual Mental Health Officer Conference. The online event was attended by MHOs from across Scotland and featured several workshops alongside a keynote address from the Minister for Wellbeing & Social Care, Kevin Stewart MSP. Mr Stewart also presented the MHO Practice Award to Meredith Ahearn for her exceptional work based at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital.

We also hit the airwaves in February as our National Director, Alison Bavidge was interviewed on BBC Radio 4’s Women’s Hour alongside author, Polly Curtis. They discussed children's social care, the considerable pressures faced by social workers in Scotland and how we need a system that prioritises early intervention rather than one that waits until crisis point.

World Social Work Day took place on 15 March. Cross Party Group Convener, Fulton MacGregor MSP lodged a motion in parliament recognising the day and highlighting the incredible work of social workers, while also calling on the Scottish Government to make much-needed improvements to the profession. 31 MSPs from across the political divide supported the motion, with many taking to social media to raise awareness. We also held two online events as part of World Social Work Month. They focused on how to support people with insecure immigration status and the impact of UNCRC incorporation on Scottish legislation.

By April, the social work policy panel was established and meeting on a monthly basis. The panel was set up to give frontline social workers the chance to share their views with Scottish Government officials about how the profession could be improved. SASW has helped to facilitate the panel during the year, which has significantly grown in stature and influence. It will now be part of the government’s co-design process for the National Care Service. All frontline social workers can be involved- please contact scotland@basw.co.uk

Our anti-racism work took further steps forward this year. We wrote to all social work leaders in Scotland in April to highlight our anti-racism plan and invite them to share best practice for promoting anti-racism within their organisations. The action plan draws on people’s lived experience of racism to challenge discrimination and was developed in response to our 2021 report into racism in social work.

Mental Health Awareness Week took place in mid-May. Improving working conditions and wellbeing for the social work workforce has been a priority campaign area for us this year. We secured a meeting with the Minister for Wellbeing & Social Care, Kevin Stewart MSP to highlight the serious pressures facing social workers and call on the Scottish Government to take action to ease demands on the profession. We have also since met with all opposition party spokespeople to ask them to lobby Ministers to make vital improvements.

Social Work Scotland published its report into workload pressures in early June. Setting the Bar not only illustrated the unmanageable caseloads swamping the profession but also laid bare a perfect storm of challenges affecting social workers, including little career progression, lack of early prevention, excessive paperwork and unpaid overtime leading to burnout. We briefed MSPs from all parties on the report findings and managed to influence some to lodge over 20 questions to the Scottish Government on how they would address these problems.

June was an eventful month for our parliamentary work. We were mentioned in a debate on tackling drug deaths by Elena Whitham MSP, who referenced our consultation response to the Social Justice & Social Security committee on the link between poverty and drug related harm.

Before parliament broke for summer recess, the Scottish Government introduced its National Care Service Bill. The legislation will have major implications for the future of social work in Scotland, including proposals for a National Social Work Agency. We held a series of engagement events with social workers over the summer to share what the government is proposing and to hear people’s views. We have been briefing MSPs on this feedback as we seek to influence how this legislation takes shape.

In August, we launched our Poetry for Wellbeing project which aims to support the wellbeing of social workers through the use of poetry. The project is being co-ordinated with Scottish Poetry Library, University of Edinburgh and the University of Stirling. The workshops are currently taking place and will result in a toolkit of materials that all social workers will be able to access to run their own workshops. Anyone interested in taking part should contact sarah.mcmillan@basw.co.uk

When parliament returned in September, we moved our campaign to increase the mileage allowance for social workers up a gear. We asked MSPs to write to both the UK and Scottish Governments to press them to uprate the mileage allowance from 45p per mile to 60p. We believe this would be a fair increase to cover the rising costs of fuel. Jackie Baillie MSP lodged a motion in parliament calling for this increase to happen, which achieved cross-party support and has helped to keep this firmly on the radar of Ministers. It was also raised in the parliament chamber directly to Ministers by Stuart McMillan MSP.

The cost of living crisis was a prominent issue for Challenge Poverty Week across Scotland in early October. We ran a digital campaign highlighting the different ways that poverty impacts on people’s lives and calling on politicians to take more significant action to tackle it.

The National Care Service Bill was firmly into stage one of the parliamentary process by November. MSPs have been scrutinising the Bill in detail during committee sessions and called us to give in-person evidence from a social work perspective. Our National Director, Alison Bavidge appeared before the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee while our Chair, Jude Currie spoke to the Children, Education and Young People Committee.

November also saw the return of our annual conference. The two-day event featured a variety of keynote addresses and interactive workshops based around the theme of upholding, protecting and advancing rights during challenging times. We also sponsored two categories at the Scottish Social Services Awards, which showcases the extraordinary work being done across Scotland’s social services sector. Congratulations to all the winners, including Social Worker of the Year, Suzy Rook from Dumfries & Galloway and the Bright Spark in Social Work (NQSW), Claire McAloon.

December has seen the student-led campaign to introduce bursaries for Scottish social work students really gather pace. The campaign is being backed by SWU and, alongside over 300 students and 20 lecturers, we wrote to the Scottish Government urging them to provide greater financial support for social work students. A petition has also been lodged in parliament which currently has over 2000 signatures. Please add your name- it only takes 1 minute! The Scottish Government have also now agreed to meet the campaign group in the new year.

Looking Ahead

The SASW team wishes members, all social workers and those we support a peaceful and joyous festive time.

You continue to do extraordinary work supporting individuals and families across Scotland in testing times. Thank you for all your continued hard work and dedication.

We look forward to connecting with you again in 2023!