Engage: British Association of Social Workers – Manifesto for Social Work
The British Association of Social Workers have produced a Manifesto for Social Work that they hope the next government will fulfill following the general election.
Here BASW Chair Guy Shennan and CEO Ruth Allen explain more: “BASW has produced a manifesto of what we want from a new government following the 2017 election. Fulfilling our manifesto will improve the lives of people using services and the contexts in which social workers work. As a citizen, you are free to raise your concerns throughout the election.
“We encourage you to use the BASW manifesto to ask – on the doorstep, at hustings, through social media or newspapers etc. – what candidates and parties will do about social workers’ and service users’ concerns. Take this opportunity to promote social work values and advocate for the wellbeing of all and particularly those in need of care or support or whose rights are at risk. This is part of being a social worker!”
A Manifesto for social work
BASW’s manifesto for the 2017 General Election summarises 8 priorities for the next government in relation to social work, social workers and people using social work services.
- End austerity policies that cause harm to children, adults and families with care and support needs
- Work with BASW and partners across the sector to ensure social workers have manageable workloads, effective organizational models and the right working conditions for excellent practice
- Commit to continued adequate funding for university education for qualifying social workers, ensuring the numbers of new entrants meets future workforce demand in all fields of practice
- Ensure a realistic and sustainable settlement for adult social care across all countries of the UK
- Shift children and families policy towards tackling child poverty and intervening early to support families and communities. Ensure strong, coherent democratic accountability for statutory social work services
- Improve the resourcing and recognition of social work within mental health services
- Ensure parity between unaccompanied asylum seeking children and other young people in care
- Recognise BASW as the professional body for social work and social workers, and work with us to improve the standing of the profession
CLICK HERE TO OPEN FULL MANIFESTO
Registering and Using Your Vote on 8 June
The deadline for registering to vote in the 2017 General Election is 22 May 2017.
People who use social work and other support services are often left out of democratic processes – because they cannot access information on how to register or use their vote, because they don’t know who the candidates are, or because they can’t get to the polling station and have not been supported in getting a postal vote.
Social workers can help people exercise their right to vote and to find out what candidates locally and nationally stand for.
