Statement on the launch of the ‘Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan’

In response to today's press release from Welsh Government regarding the aims for Wales to become an Anti-Racist Nation, Allison Hulmes, BASW Cymru National Director commented:

‘We welcome the launch of the ‘Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan’ and look forward to working with our partners to ensure that social work in Wales, is also truly anti-racist. We know from our snap-shot survey undertaken in 2021, that Black, Asian, Romani and social workers from other racialised minorities in Wales, do not believe this is the case. As Professor Prospero Tedam (2021) articulated so powerfully , ‘racism is embedded in the fabric of social work practice where it is experienced overtly, covertly, systematically and institutionally.’ We look forward to action framed around the ‘Antiracist Wales Action Plan’ to address systemic racism in social work, which impacts not only on our workforce, but on those we support too.

We will shortly be announcing an anti-racist social work round-table to which we will invite our partners to develop an anti-racist social work plan for Wales, which addresses the key issues raised by our Black, Asian, Romani and minority ethnic social workers and students’.