An update from BASW Cymru's National Director, Allison Hulmes

April 2020

Dear members

We want to thank you for the incredible work that you have continued to do, under extraordinary times. We have been listening to your concerns via our survey https://www.basw.co.uk/media/news/2020/mar/social-work-during-coronavirus-covid-19-ongoing-survey also our weekly forums.

We want to give an update on the work we have been undertaking to ensure you have a voice and that you have all you need to undertake your essential roles, as social workers.

  • We took part in a rapid review of the new statutory guidance which is being developed to accompany the Emergency CoronaVirus Act 2020.
  • We had a meeting with Albert Heaney – Director of Social Services at Welsh Government, to raise our concerns about the lateness of developing the statutory guidance and PPE.
  • We now take part in a weekly meeting with Vaughan Gething – the Health and Social Services Minister and last week we raised with him statutory guidance/PPE and workforce numbers following the low uptake of returners to the temporary register.
  • We have been interviewed by the BBC in both English and Welsh to raise the above issues.
  • We have worked with the national team, to develop practice guidance during Covid 19. This is regularly updated on our website.
  • We are working in collaboration with other organisations to raise the issues of poverty and unpaid carers.
  • We have been keeping our Covid-19 webpages updated with the latest information from Public Health Wales and Welsh Government.

Please keep letting us know how things are for you and what we can do to continue to ensure that social workers have a strong voice and are heard at the highest levels. Our forums will run every week during the crisis, so please join in for a safe place to chat, share and have peer support.

Professional Social Magazine is also calling for social work stories during the pandemic https://www.basw.co.uk/resources/psw-magazine/psw-online/voices-social-work-pandemic Please contribute, if you are able.

We see you; we hear you and we value you.

Allison Hulmes

National Director

BASW Cymru