Members meeting with Alan Baird, Chief SW Adviser to Scottish Government on Scottish Social Services Strategic Forum

SASW represented members’ views and specifically SASW Scotland Committee at the meeting of the Forum in December 2014. We commented that:
There was strong criticism of the lack of reference to austerity and the impact of welfare reform, for example the climate and increasingly difficult economic environment in which our members do their work. We have clear examples of where this directly impacts.

Social work should also be about pursuing social justice - advocating political action on behalf of those we serve - in order to bring about change and combat inequality. It was noted that many universities no longer offer a comprehensive social policy module as part of the social work degree course.

SASW Manager Trisha Hall reminded Forum members of the duties laid out within section 12 of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968, which has never been repealed (although some subsequent pieces of legislation may have suggested implementation variations within their “guidance”).

The unique identity of social workers came up frequently within the responses received. One member suggested we would soon be ‘senior care workers’ or an equivalent. Social Work is a profession that has ‘protected title’ status. We are committed to partnership working as an integral part of good social work, but are increasingly concerned about becoming ‘risk managers’ whose primary task is assessment and reviewing, NOT the ‘direct work’ members join our profession for. This is frequently passed on to care workers, who do not receive sufficient remuneration for the tasks they undertake and may not always have the desired skill base and training for some of the complex scenarios and cases they work with.

SASW is absolutely committed to not simply highlighting the issues, but to helping find the solutions. So we are delighted that Alan Baird, Chief SW adviser to Scottish Government, has agreed to come and meet with SASW members to discuss our comments and concerns. We are finalising the date for an afternoon meeting in the next two weeks.

Click here if you would like to attend, as places are limited or if you have any comments you wish to have included.

Thank you.