New appointments to Social Work England board: BASW England response

Last week Social Work England (SWE) added two registered social workers to its board. The new appointments mean that three out of eight board members at SWE are registered practitioners.

We welcome the fact that two registered social workers have joined the SWE board.

BASW England has been strongly advocating for registered social work representation on the board of SWE, excluding the role of CEO as a paid staff member and chair, who is a qualified social worker but not registered.

It is important that the experience and voice of social workers is represented on the profession's regulatory board - and we wish Adie Cooper and Sue Ross every success in their new roles as board members.

It is also important that the regulatory body represents the diversity of communities that social workers serve, and creates inclusive and equitable opportunities for social workers and leaders from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds. Public protection is also about representing the diversity and protected characteristics of all citizens, including social workers.