Social Workers express dismay at Stormont talks breakdown
The Northern Ireland Association of Social Workers (NIASW) has expressed its concern and disappointment at the failure of talks to re-establish a Northern Ireland Executive.
Speaking following the collapse in negotiations, Colin Reid, NIASW Chair, said: “The social work sector is facing significant and growing pressures which, to be addressed, require decisive political leadership.
“Ahead of us lies a Department of Health proposal to include social workers in radically reformed primary care structures, and demand continues to grow in what is an already constrained social care system. All the while, social workers continue to shoulder increasing workloads in the face of stifling bureaucracy.”
NIASW recently submitted written evidence to the House of Commons Northern Ireland Affairs Committee inquiry set up to examine the impact caused by the absence of a Northern Ireland Executive.
Mr Reid continued by saying: “NIASW firmly believes the sector is best served when decisions concerning structures for delivering social work services and budgets are taken by locally accountable, democratically elected Ministers and scrutinised by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
“However, in the current political vacuum progress is not being made to address the challenges our sector faces. NIASW calls on our political representatives to show leadership, accept the need for compromise, and come to a workable agreement to enable the re-establishment of a Northern Ireland Executive.”
ENDS
Notes for editors
- Colin Reid, NIASW Chair, will be available for interview.
- The Northern Ireland Association of Social Workers (NIASW) is part of the British Association Social Workers (BASW), the largest professional body for social workers in the UK. The Association has 21,000 members employed in frontline, management, academic and research positions in all care settings.
Contact
Andy McClenaghan, Campaigns Officer
Phone: 028 9064 8873
Mobile: 07702 517560
Email: a.mcclenaghan@basw.co.uk