A recent blog from a social worker on this network called for social work leaders to raise their game and create a greater public profile for issues affecting the profession.
It suggested that we had much to learn from our colleagues in healthcare, and how their campaigns on pay, hours and major contract changes – especially for junior doctors – regularly make national headlines.
As a longstanding member of the British Association of Social Workers (BASW) and one of its professional officers, I can confidently say that the organisation completely shares this aim, and agrees with some of the points made.
It is true that social workers have much to learn from colleagues in healthcare, but we already aspire to have a greater voice in the media. BASW is making good progress on this and I believe it is misleading to suggest the profession and its leaders have been ineffectual.
In the past couple of weeks, our chair, Guy Shennan, appeared on Channel 4 News, explaining why increased poverty is driving up child referral rates; on ITV News at Ten, our vice-chair, Jon Dudley, highlighted the launch of our adoption inquiry and how austerity policies are linked to higher adoption figures; and BASW member Melanie Adegbite discussed the poor working conditions driving social workers out of practice on the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire show.
There is also a great deal of important work going on behind the scenes, in parliamentary corridors and at political party events. Lobbying efforts by Ruth Allen, our chief executive – and BASW country managers and members – on better working conditions for social workers and an end to cuts has driven these important issues up the political agenda.
Our voice is also widespread and brave; the Northern Ireland Association of Social Workers recently condemned dissident Republican threats against colleagues on the probation board as well as the murder attempt on a colleague in the Republic of Ireland. It also secured significant media exposure for its campaign against universal credit and the rape clause.
The profession is seeing results. Partnership work in lobbying for changes in the children and social work bill – now an act – in England was a result of social workers across the country wanting to stand up and be counted.
There is a long way to go, but we are continuing to improve our media presence and our voice is getting louder.
Organisations such as BASW and the Social Workers Union are learning from working with colleagues in other professions, particularly healthcare, but we need to bear in mind what makes us different.
For a start, more than one million people are employed directly by the NHS, a universal service that enjoys a great deal of public sympathy. In comparison, there are about 100,000 social workers in England – getting a voice in the media is much harder.
A member organisation is only as strong as its membership. We have ambitions to achieve much more, but it would be achieved more quickly if our membership increased.
I urge social workers to get involved in BASW to voice their concerns and celebrate all the great work we do every day. If social workers work together, we can become the solution and make our voices heard.
- Joe Godden is a registered social worker and professional officer at BASW
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