Austerity and the Impact on Welfare Reform

Our members in Highland have successfully revived a SASW Branch over the last year in order to ensure professional representation and mutual support within one of the very first 'integrated' health and social care partnerships. Kenneth Bolger (Chair) and Eilidh MacMillan (branch secretary) and their committee organised a day seminar in Inverness at the Highland Council Chambers, supported by the SASW office, and with additional support from NHS Highland.

In Highland the 'lead agency model' means that in adult care, the partnership is led by the NHS. Social workers have responded well to the changes, while remaining acutely aware of the challenges, particularly within an environment of austerity and welfare reform which has a profound impact on the users of social work services. This seminar has some hard hitting presentations from eminent speakers, but also moving deliveries from people who found themselves as users of services at the most difficult end of the changes. Please see PSW Scotland October for coverage of the day, as well as for a feature on section 12 of the social work (Scotland) act, which was never repealed! Power point presentations can be found here.