Campaigns in England

Homes Not Hospitals 

BASW England have worked with key stakeholders to develop key documents to support social workers to work preventatively, strengthen legal literacy and more specialised ways of working to avoid admissions to hospital, support, advocate and challenge on behalf of people currently in assessment and treatment units or restrictive settings to enable a return to home as soon as possible.

The key documents include:

• Best Practice Commissioning with Citizens and Communities statement
• The Role of the Social Worker and Legal Literacy
• The Role of the Social Worker and Legal Literacy - Easy Read
• Homes not Hospitals: Appendix 1
  Three Examples of Best Practice Commissioning with Citizens and Communities. Appendix to Homes not Hospitals - Best Practice Commissioning with Citizens and Communities statement
• Homes not Hospitals: Appendix 2
  Key guidance and resources. Appendix to both documents
• Top Tips for Social Workers
• Top Tips for Social Workers - Easy Read
• Quick Guide: Legal Literacy
• Homes not Hospitals: Additional Information

Social work in disasters

Some of the key activities of the campaign so far:

• In November 2019, CPD guidance on social work roles undertaken during disasters was released.
• In December 2019, Survivors and people with lived experience, including Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, shared their views at a Social Work in Disasters Conference
• In 2019, a project was launched with BASW England and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) in England, to raise awareness, but also formalise, the important role social workers play in disaster recovery.
• A document between ADASS and BASW England was co-produced and sets out the role of the Director of Adult Social Services (DASS) and social workers in disaster recovery. The document sets out key recommendations for both roles, including greater clarity and uniformity of the HALO role in all local authorities.
• In 2021, BASW England developed online training in partnership with The Open University and University of Stirling, to provide social workers/social work students with an overview of social work in disasters. It is underpinned by a systematic literature review of research and literature in this area, and the work of the British Association of Social Workers Disaster Working Group. This training is available on demand below.

Complete the Social Work in Disasters online training

80-20 campaign – Upholding relationship-based social work

We are campaigning to reverse the current trend which sees children and families social workers spending just 20 per cent of their time in direct contact with families.

Work done in the campaign so far:

• A survey of BASW England members was carried out in 2018.
• We have met and consulted with stakeholders including local authorities to identify and champion best models of practice.
• A stakeholder group has been set up to support the campaign
• Our Children and Families Practice, Policy and Education Group has hosted the Communicating and Engaging with Children Webinar giving examples of good models of practice in action.
• BASW England 80-20 Conference in Partnership with the University of Sussex’s Talking and Listening to Children KITBAG Campaign

BASW England and stakeholders have supported the development of a number of resources:

• BASW guide: Recording in Children’s Social Work  
• Top Tips for remote working in children's social work
• 80-20 Campaign webinar series - Relationship-based practice: working with children and families
• BASW England 80-20 Campaign: Pre-Birth Social Work Webinar

Review of Children’s Social Care