Blog: BASW England chair Vava Tampa reflects on the election results.

Congratulations to Sir Keir Starmer and the Labour Party on their election victory. To quote the prime minister’s first speech on the steps of Downing Street, the country "voted decisively for change, for national renewal" and the scale of the task in England that the new government inherits cannot be underestimated.

Last February, the Department for Education (DfE) said another 5,300 Social Workers left the profession in 2023. In 2022 another 5,300 of the 32,500 full FTE child and family social workers employed by local authorities in England left the profession. Another 3,000 left in 2021. From 2010 to 2019, for instance, spending on early intervention services for children and young people fell from £3.5 billion to £1.9 billion — a 46% decrease that could come to define a generation. Indeed, looking at this trend, it seems that we may not have enough experienced Social Workers or resources in children services for our interventions to be anywhere close to being safe, responsive and effective. 

Yet, according to a 2022 study by the Institute for Government, the number of initial contacts children’s social care departments received rose from 1.8 million in 2010 to 2.6 million in 2020 – a 35% increase. This means local authorities have had to undertake more investigations and provide more support. The number of Section 47 enquiries, for instance, where a team of social workers, police officers and teachers undertake a child assessment, more than doubled, from 89,000 in 2010 to 201,000 in 2020. The number of children subject to a child protection plan also rose 32%.

But there are also grounds for optimism. I know that both Wes Streeting (the new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care) and Bridget Phillipson (Secretary of State for Education) get it. Together with our partners across the country, BASW England will work hard to influence the government to rebuild and re-staff England’s children, adult and mental health services which are facing perhaps it’s toughest moments in its history, and the challenge ahead will require working together to provide the people we serve the 5-star services they deserve – and quickly.

National Director for BASW England, Maris Stratulis, said:

"A new government brings opportunities to deliver better for social work, social care, and people’s lives. A fresh mandate for real change.

"The abject poverty, inequalities and extreme hardship that many children, families and adults continue to experience in England can no longer be ignored. The state has a responsibility to act to promote and protect the wellbeing of all its citizens.

"We must ensure that the value and unique contribution of social workers is integral to government ethics and policy, and above all through concrete actions that support and invest in the sustainability of the social work profession, social care and health services.

"BASW England will make this case to the new government and is committed to working in partnership with Ministers, departmental representatives, civil servants, MPs, and all stakeholders on behalf of our members and the wider profession to deliver on our manifesto asks and more. It is time to get it right".

Jackie Mahoney, Vice-Chair of the BASW England National Standing Committee, echoed these sentiments, saying:

"As a  frontline social worker and BASW member I am keen to start the long awaited work to rebuild social care with social work at its heart.  My hope is a Labour Government will commit immediately to what is required and was promised by the Conservatives to "fix social care".