BASW CEO Blog: 'The future of social work in integrated health services - now is the time to make your voice heard'

BASW will amplify and advocate for your views, values and concerns so – get involved!

As we emerge from Covid, governments are busy with strategic policy and legislative consultations and plans across the UK. When governments get busy, BASW and social workers need to get busy, get involved and ensure social workers’ voices are heard.

Key consultations

The future of social work in integrated services with health is one of the many active areas of consultation, particularly in England and Scotland. In England, there are two key consultations that currently need member input:

We need your views on both of these so please, if this is relevant to you, click through and share your thoughts or come to an event.

Job roles, employment arrangements, parity of pay and working conditions, approaches and models of working – these may all be affected by emerging new models of integration in adults services in England, and also in Scotland where the planning for a ‘National Care Service’ for adults is taking shape. There will be invitations for members in Scotland to get involved in the coming weeks and months.

'A case for Change'

In children’s services in England, we also have proposals (a Case for Change) being put forward by the Review of Children’s Social Care in England. This could have long term implications for how social workers are deployed and the role they play in statutory services.

Members have provided powerful views which were recently submitted to the Care Review team, as part of BASW England's overall response. The full document can be read on the BASW website; Community Care magazine also provided a useful summary.

There will be more opportunities to influence BASW’s position on the Care Review and what we really need to happen in the sector. This is a summer full of policy activity, some of it catching up with what was set aside during the first year of Covid; some of it in England aiming to use the big majority in Westminster to make change.

As always, the voice of social workers needs to be heard. It can be hard to prioritise feeding in your thoughts and knowledge – but you are the experts in social work and the world (and governments) need to hear you. BASW will amplify and advocate for your views, values and concerns so – get involved!

Job roles, employment arrangements, parity of pay and working conditions, approaches and models of working – these may all be affected by emerging new models of integration in adults services
Dr. Ruth Allen, BASW CEO