BASW UK Statement: National Age Assessment Board

Given the risk of political priorities intruding on professional objectivity, BASW is discouraging our members, as well as other social workers from applying for, or taking up, age assessment roles in the National Age Assessment Board (NAAB).

Now that the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 is being implemented, a new agency has been established – the National Age Assessment Board (NAAB). The responsibility for age assessments will gradually move from local authorities to the NAAB.

BASW has concerns that, since the NAAB is part of the Home Office and therefore accountable to the Home Secretary, this could lead to age assessment work being influenced by political priorities such as reducing immigration, with worrying implications for child welfare.

The Home Office is currently recruiting social workers to join the NAAB. However, BASW is discouraging our members, as well as other social workers from applying for, or taking up, age assessment roles in the NAAB. 

Commenting, BASW Chief Executive, Ruth Allen said:

“The Home Office directly employing social workers to carry out age assessments of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children is a risk to professional objectivity and could compromise the judgment of social workers.”

Referring to comments made by the home secretary, Suella Braverman, that individuals pretend to be child asylum seekers to exploit the system, Allen said: “Previous statements by the home secretary have undermined confidence that age assessments could be carried out in a Home Office agency that is free from political interference.”

BASW UK's full statement in relation to this matter can be found here.