On countdown … Yes or No?

Just one day to go now until Scotland decides its future. Your work place will possibly also have been a place of discussion about what the impact of either side would be on Scotland, the public sector, and social work. Views are strong on either side, from those of us who are clear that the opportunity to be independent must be grasped as the only way to enable true change and the creation of a social democracy, to those of us who also want a fairer society but wish to remain part of the UK and believe the union, but with significantly further increased devolved powers, is preferable to going it alone.

SASW (part of BASW UK) will be responding to members in Scotland following the outcome of the vote. It looks like it will be a close call. For now it is important to recognise that, whatever the outcome, social work in Scotland has to play a significant part in working across the two perspectives, uniting people who may not get the result they hoped for, and focusing on what can be achieved for the users of our services.

The debates on social justice and how such can be achieved have been very animated, and social work must continue to actively inform that discussion as a profession. It appears very clear that more of the same will not do; and the message on how we can tackle the inequalities and injustices in society must be sharpened up and followed by tangible actions.