Welcome to BASW England! Whether you've just joined or been a member for a while, this is your chance to get to know the BASW England team and find out more about what we offer. Learn about:
> Your member benefits > Our campaigns > Our groups, branches and committee > Support services, like the Social Work Professional Support Service and the BASW England mentoring scheme > Upcoming events > Ways to get involved
There will be an opportunity for questions at the end of the session.
This online forum is for NQSWs, social workers looking for their first employed role in England or a change in role and those looking to return to the profession after a career break.
This online forum is for social workers looking for their first employed social work role in England or for those who are looking to return to the profession after a career break. You may also find the session helpful if you have been in the same role for a long time and are now applying for alternative social work jobs.
Sarah Branson, barrister at Coram Chambers (London), and Paul Hunter, Technical Director of Forensic Testing Services (FTS – Yorkshire), will speak about the use of hair strand testing for drug and alcohol in the family courts, including how the current widespread practice of using cut-off levels is misleading, biased against people with darker hair colour, and can cause miscarriages of justice.
They will then make a series of recommendations on how industry and court practice should change and highlight the role social workers can play.
Speakers Andrew Reece- Professional Officer for BASW and Sarah Goff
Andrew Reece is a Professional Officer and Registered Social Worker with the British Association of Social Workers (BASW) , where he specialises in Social Work practice with disabled children. Before working for BASW, Andrew was an active BASW member, sitting on their National Standing Committee and supporting both their ‘Homes not Hospitals’ and ‘80-20: Time for Relationship Based Practice’ campaigns.
On 19th February 2025, Social Work England (SWE) launched a consultation on proposed increases to social work registration fees. The regulator is proposing a 33% increase, raising the annual renewal fee from £90 to £120, with further annual increases of 1.85% until 2028-29.
Risk aware vs risk averse This session will look into the dilemma between the rights/freedom of a person and our duty to protect. For many people risk is an accepted part of life. However, disabled adults, older people and young people are often discouraged from taking risks. Finding the balance between risk and protection is vital if people are to be empowered to become/stay independent and live fulfilling and rewarding lives.
Being able to create and use a chronology is a key skill in social work, however very often social workers can feel unsure about what to include, what not to include and how to use a chronology as a practice tool. More consideration spent on chronologies is regularly amongst recommendations from learning reviews. Join this very practical session which will give clarity about why a chronology is important in practice, and how to create and use this valuable assessment tool.
This session will focus on Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 and Hospital Discharge. We will hear from practicing MHOs in relation to how their local areas use the AWI Act to support people leaving hospital – showcase the diverse practices across Scotland and consider the challenges as well as opportunities in practice.
Join this North Yorkshire branch event open to students and social workers, BASW members and non-members from across the region to find out more about the innovative and vital work of the St Giles Trust, a social justice charity supporting young people and women across the region.
Supported by BASW, the Neurodivergent Social Workers Special Interest Group (NSW SIG) is a SIG for neurodivergent social workers, and professionals within social care.
If you are a social worker who is neurodivergent, come and join us, let’s be the change and make our workplace neuro-inclusive! This vibrant, active SIG meets online, usually on MS Teams, on the last Tuesday of every month, 7pm till 8.30pm.
In this webinar, the Brain Injury Social Work Group (BISWG) will present work carried out by the Heads Together research team, which includes people with lived experience, sharing findings and key messages into social work career-long education.
The term ‘acquired brain injury’ (ABI) refers to any injury to the brain that occurs after birth and can have a lifelong impact on mental health, employment, relationships and capacity. It also affects carers and communities with the effects being both individual to the person as well as lifelong. No two people are the same.
Share your experiences of studying or starting your social work career in Scotland as a new graduate - good or bad- with fellow students and NQSWs. Let’s reflect on topics and work on solutions in a supportive informal environment. All welcome!
The idea for this group has organically grown from the BASW Independent Social Worker online FaceBook group, where people have been reaching out within the forum to share information, seek advice and guidance. Showing the need for a platform to discuss the positives and the issues impacting the fostering world. The responses have been very heartfelt and demonstrate the necessity of having a community support group, with a common theme of fostering assessments and the evolution of this work.