Counting down to the Big Conversation Launch
We want to engage with all our members, future members and key stakeholders who are part of the social work landscape.
The last couple of weeks I’ve been working closely with our fantastic staff teams and member-led committees across the four nations to firm up our plan for BASW’s upcoming Big Conversation.
The question I’m understandably being asked by everyone is - what’s it all about?
So I thought I’d take the opportunity in this member update to set out what the project is, what we hope to achieve, and to give you an idea of how you’ll be able to take part. To my knowledge, BASW has never undertaken such a significant profession-wide conversation of this scale. We want to engage with all our members, future members and key stakeholders who are part of the social work landscape. It’s exciting, invigorating and I hope you’ll find it a valuable and empowering exercise that helps us become the professional association you want us to be.
Why a Big Conversation now?
I passionately believe that BASW must be a member-driven professional association at all levels and in all we do. We work for you, with you, side by side.
While we listen all year round, a dedicated initiative such as this is important for stimulating wider discussion across the whole profession and generating ideas and suggestions together. This isn’t just about you talking to us, but also to one another. And importantly, it's about strengthening our collective voice at a time of change and turbulence for social work and social workers.
As I explained in last month’s update, BASW has undergone significant structural changes in recent months. The changes mean we are now looking forward to strengthened finances, enabling us to invest more into the services and benefits we provide for members. In order to make sure we get this right, we need to facilitate the Big Conversation.
What do we have planned?
We will be kicking off the Big Conversation officially in December with a survey allowing you an initial opportunity to share your views and ideas with us anonymously. The survey will be two-fold; we want to hear from you about your experiences in day-to-day practice, and also what you want from BASW. The survey will open from early December and run until the start of January – so please keep an eye on your inbox in December for more details.
We’re not stopping there though. There will be multiple opportunities for you to speak to us in addition to the survey, most of which will be up and running in the new year. These include debate forums, use of focus groups, existing BASW groups and networks, and on social media. We'll also be producing resources for you to facilitate your own discussions with colleagues and then feedback to us directly. And we’ll be rounding it all off with a Big Conversation event taking place in March for World Social Work Month – watch this space!
Our hope is that by having a range of channels open for discussion and debate and not just a survey (!) everyone will have the opportunity to contribute and be heard. This is critical if we are to build a truly modern BASW that meets the needs of all social workers.
Our aim is to have collated all your views by Spring 2026, thus allowing us to then launch our five-year plan based on the findings in June. Exciting times ahead!
What else is happening at BASW?
Work continues at pace across BASW, with our dedicated staff teams continuing to support, represent and advise members around the UK. Here are a few recent highlights since my last update to you:
Our Amazing Social Worker campaign is now open for nominations! The campaign gets bigger every year and is a great way for us to showcase the exceptional social work practice happening across our communities, while also raising public awareness and understanding of the role of social work. Please do put your colleagues forward for recognition – the nomination form only takes a few minutes to complete, and it will make their day!
Our parliamentary work continues in earnest as we engage in crucial campaigns, policymaking and legislation on behalf of the social work profession. At Westminster, we are lobbying for key changes to the UK Government’s Immigration Bill, in particular the provision of Merton-compliant, social work-led age assessments in the legislation.
At Holyrood, SASW have won support for several social work specific amendments to be tabled to Scotland’s Assisted Dying Bill which are due to be considered by MSPs.
At the Senedd this week, BASW Cymru and SWU are hosting an event to gather support from parliamentarians for our campaign for better working conditions for social workers in Wales.
At Stormont, BASW Northern Ireland has been engaging on the Northern Ireland Executive’s draft anti-poverty strategy and the Adult Safeguarding Bill, both of which are of high importance to the profession in Northern Ireland.
Our Student Ambassador Scheme, which plays an important role in connecting social work students with BASW, is seeking new Ambassadors for the academic year. If you’re a student member, why not apply? As well as free BASW membership, you’ll get to develop new skills alongside your studies and meet fellow students from all over the UK.
From our expert Advice & Representation service to the delivery of our rich learning and training programmes, our growing coaching and mentoring support to our in-depth bank of published resources and guidance, and our varied campaigning and influencing activities to speaking out for social work in the media, our determination to deliver the highest level of services to our members has never been stronger.
If you haven’t already, please do explore your many member benefits and make sure you’re squeezing every last drop from your membership with us. And as always, thank you for all you’re doing everyday for the people we serve, the staff you support everyday and for the changes you continue to make.
