BASW Chair Gerry Nosowska reflects on 2020 and looks ahead to 2021

My takeout for 2020 is that it has shown the importance of social work. 

You have continued work throughout the pandemic on the frontline supporting people. And many will be working throughout the festive season, continuing your work across our communities.

Thank you for your bravery and commitment in working throughout such a hugely challenging year.  At BASW we have been proud to mark the important work you do and will continue to shine a light on the positive impact you make.

The last 12 months has seen many more individuals faced with wide-ranging and significant personal struggles – such as increased poverty, mental health, inequality, domestic abuse - making the work of social workers much more complex and challenging, and in more demand than ever.

2020 continues to be a time of great sadness for friends, families and colleagues with the loss of too many loved ones.  I pay tribute and remember with a heavy heart those we have lost this year including our social worker, health and social care colleagues.

BASW has been here to support social workers for 50 years and will continue to do so.

2020 has been a year of change in how BASW has done things – with services, activities and support moving online.

We have launched new services and learned a lot about how to support members creatively.

As (we hope) things open up again, we will keep reviewing how we work and will take the best of what we have learned into the future.

We also hope to see members face to face again in 2021 and will reintroduce this where we can, when we can, following the best public health evidence.

Our aim remains to serve members well while keeping everyone safe.

I extend my warmest wishes to you and your loved ones. 

Let us take the efforts and positives from the year and carry them into a better year in 2021.

Very best wishes