BASW Cymru responds to Letter from Julie Morgan, Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services

BASW Cymru welcomes this response from the Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services to some of the concerns we have raised on behalf of our membership in Wales. The response however, does not fully answer our concerns as we still don’t know:

• How many social workers have tested positive to the virus, or are self-isolating due to contact with another person with symptoms or are shielding.
• We still don’t have accurate numbers on how many of those social workers that have returned to the register are now actually in social work posts, because there is a disconnect between the numbers on the temporary register and those employed.
• If the ‘WeCare’ campaign has resulted in an increased workforce.

All of the above will impact on the ability of the social work workforce (that was under strain before the pandemic) to meet the challenges both known and unknown, as we move forward. Social workers will be essential to building strong families and communities as we move into the future.

BASW Cymru, as the independent voice for social work in Wales, needs to be a partner in developing, monitoring and evaluating strategies that impact on the social work workforce in Wales. We will continue to campaign for our members to ensure a properly resourced and resilient social work workforce in Wales.

Allison Hulmes

National Director, BASW Cymru