Taking Back our Profession
On 12th November, BASW (British Association of Social Workers) is holding a rally starting at 10am at Friends House at Euston in London to support social workers and the social work profession. The rally is titled ‘Taking Back our Profession : Time to Challenge the Politicians’.
Confirmed current participants are Moira Gibb of the Social Work Taskforce and Tim Loughton, the Conservative Party Spokesman for Children. All political parties though have been invited so the list may grow.
This will be followed by an Additional General Meeting of BASW to discuss some additional clauses, the content of which I haven’t investigated fully but are available online.
It is certainly heartening to see more activism growing from BASW. It might be a case of needs must because the dangers of over-compliance with career politicians have been seen first hand. Social Work easily falls into the ‘politicking’ sector because so much that concerns the work that we do can be ranted and raved about by over-excited press railing at all of society’s failings or seeking to shift blame to the less politically sophisticated and poorer edges of society that are easier to challenge than the bankers and middle class mid-managers who wave their copies of the Daily Mail angrily at their local MPs in outrage.
I hope to be present although it depends a little on my work and capacity. I have a sneaky feeling it won’t be possible for me to take the time off – which is unfortunate as it is very easy for me to get to otherwise. I suppose it would be unrealistic for these events to occur outside of work time.. but in any case, I can be there ‘in spirit’!
Posted on October 19, 2009, in social care, social work, work and tagged basw, basw rally, British Association of Social Workers, british social workers, london, meeting, moira gibb, social work, social workers, Tim Loughton. Bookmark the permalink. 5 Comments.
Well, call me extremist (in the original sense of the word…) but I think social workers should occupy benches in the Parliament and be very much involved with politics. Who else works so close to people and knows so much about their struggles and needs????
Wish I could be there, but I think I will be there only in spirit too sadly. I do hope it gets the political minds thinking and more aware of us and the issues we face though.
I used to think politics would have made an interesting career option but honestly, at the current time, I wouldn’t really want to be doing anything other than what I’m doing right now!
And sw2be, I do hope so too!
I wont be there. it is obvious to me that BASW are vying to become the new college and frankly why would they be a good choice – It is a useless and self serving organisatiion with only 12K social workers members – how arrogant to think they can suddenly become our voice! BASW has always been minutely marginal to my professional career and I personally know of only three members.
Additionally has anyone conisdered the cost of the proposed college to us? I already pay £30 for registration and get little in return other than the right to practice (I thought my qualification gave me that) but other national colleges with required membership cost up to £300 a year for registrants.
It can only get better if the members decide to make it so. I think BASW can become a far more effective voice if people do join up. As for the cost issue, I would hope it might encompass some kind of union link-up like the College of OTs