Summer planning and preparation

An update from BASW Chair, Gerry Nosowska

I hope that many of you are finding an opportunity to rest and recover as we go through August.

We are conscious of the work and personal stress facing social workers, and we hope that you can receive the support that you need, including through our new Professional Support Service

This is a peer-to-peer listening service, in which trained volunteer coaches are able to support colleagues in confidence in a safe space. Whilst the public celebration of social care has lessened, the value of your work and the impact you make on people’s lives remains. Thank you for everything you do.

BASW is continuing to plan ahead. Our priorities are:

  • Advocating for the social work role in wider social care reform
  • Promoting and supporting anti-oppressive practice and leadership
  • Supporting social work education and students
  • Promoting social workers’ wellbeing 

We are identifying how our activities, events and services can best support these aims, and continuing our work to influence, alongside allies. Our bulletins and website will keep you updated.

We are also conscious of the need to put in place contingencies as the pandemic develops. We have learned a lot from our response so far. We will draw on this to respond rapidly to changes so that we continue our virtual support, urgent care and lobbying but starting from a position of experience and learned expertise.

I am really pleased that our BASW 2025 Vision has been shared.  I am looking forward to finalising this and presenting it at our Annual General Meeting on 15 September.

I will be reporting back on our work over the last year and our Covid-19 response. I also will be giving an account of our work on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.

It is great that we have many motions for the AGM meeting about what BASW should do in the year ahead.

I hope you can attend this online event and contribute to our planning.