Challenging poverty, discrimination and inequality are core elements of the ethical and professional standards underpinning modern social work.
For this reason, all social workers - and especially mental health social workers and approved mental health professionals - should welcome the launch of the Centre for Mental Health Equality report. Our Mental Health Lead, Mark Trewin explains more...
Meet Carmen Colomina, social worker and Practice Development Manager at the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE). In this guest blog, Carmen reflects upon the pandemic's effect on her life and work, the wider profession's adaptability, including the technological adjustments many of us have had to make to keep delivering for those who need our help.
Over the last year 18 months, Mark Trewin, our mental health social work lead, has enjoyed the privilege of chairing of the Health Education England (HEE) new roles mental health programme group for social work. HEE set up the new roles in the mental health (MH) programme to support the delivery and expansion of innovative roles, identified as having the greatest impact in mental health services. A final webinar at 10.30am this morning completes the journey of discovery.
Throughout this coronavirus pandemic, we have been reminded again of the devastating impact societal inequalities have had on the health and wellbeing of Black, Asian and ethnically diverse (BAME) citizens. The recent Public Health England report highlighted the need for us to finally act and consider the unacceptable impact such inequalities have always had on our communities...
This year marked 50 years since the creation of local authority social services, a milestone we had hoped to celebrate with all social workers and those in training on World Social Work Day. We have written to the profession in these uncertain times to reaffirm our continuing support, guidance and – we hope – inspiration, during this pandemic and way beyond.
Jo Barnicoat works for a small charity, Oxfordshire Family Support Network (OXFSN), supporting families with learning disabilities. Like everyone else, she and her colleagues have had to develop a totally new way of working. However, this enforced change has actually enabled professionals and families to communicate much more efficiently and speedily.
Over the last few months, we have seen social workers and social work students coming together to support one another.
Not only that, they are also coming up with ways to develop and shape new ideas in social work and broaden the resources they use to enhance their practice thinking.
In this context, the Student Social Work Hub has exploded onto our social media and into the rich discussion about social work and the future of the profession.
Understanding what is important to adults with learning disabilities and/or autism helps practitioners and organisations make meaningful contributions to their lives and those around them. BASW's Liz Howard explains how new capabilities statement resources provide social workers with the means to capture the voices and experiences of people and families to shape our learning, development and growth as a profession.
It's Learning Disability Week. BASW (the British Association of Social Workers) and SCIE (the Social Care Institute for Excellence) have launched new resources to support the capabilities of social workers in their work with autistic adults and adults with learning disabilities. These resources are freely available on the BASW website and will support individuals and organisations to implement the capabilities statements and CPD pathways.
Diana Katoto is a student at the University of Birmingham, studying a BA Social Work. She has a passion for social justice and prides herself on promoting human rights. The tragic death of George Floyd in the United States has prompted her to write this heartfelt and challenging blog. Diana tasks our social work profession - and by extension all other UK based institutions and networks - to be louder in our condemnation and take active steps to combat racism wherever we find it.
Most people in treatment for drug and alcohol use are being helped in community settings, staying at home and working with their treatment providers, who are supporting their ongoing care through the coronavirus pandemic. Karen Biggs is the Chief Executive of Phoenix Futures, a specialist substance misuse treatment charity.
Whilst the advice for most of the treatment sector has been to find ways to support people without face to face contact, in residential care homes this has been more difficult to achieve. Karen explains how her organisation has continued to help people despite the challenges of lockdown.