BASW Diaspora SIG Conference & Awards (July) 2025 – Register Now!
"Resilient Diaspora Social Workers: Surviving and Thriving in Challenging Environments."
Date: July 10, 2025
Venue: City Campus Wulfruna, Millennium City Building, Lecture theatre MC001. University of Wolverhampton, Wulfruna Street, Wolverhampton, WV1 1LY
Time: 9 am to 4 pm
Fees:
- Standard rate £35
- BASW members rate £30
- Other Association Members/ Sponsors rate £30
- Student rate £15
- Online attendance rate £15
This is a Hybrid event! We will also be presenting the Diaspora Social Worker and Academic of the Year Award. Nominations are now open for you to SUBMIT YOUR ENTRIES.
Contact Us
Email:diaspora@baswnetwork.co.uk
The Diaspora SIG Committee
- Priya David (Co-Chair)
- Susanne Machin-Autenrieth (Co-Chair)
- Anstance Fometu (Co-Vice Chair)
- Daisy D’Silva Toscano (Co-Vice Chair)
- Yohai Hakak (Treasurer)
- Irine Mano (Secretary)
- Megan Yamiko Kapusa (Co-Secretary)
- Michael Nwoye (Membership Officer)
- Karina Boorer (Communication Officer)
- Katrina Williams (HR Adviser)
- David Jones (Honorary Member)
Association Leads
- Lead for Bombay Association - Daisy D'SilvaToscano
- Lead for Malawi Association - Megan Yamiko Kapusa
- Lead for Ghanian Association - Lydia Christie
- Lead for Nepalese Association - Hari Bhandari
Programme Leads
- Tricia Pereira - WREU (Social Care Workforce Race Equality) Lead
- Vishal Udaya Kumar – UKMSW Lead
- Edith Till – Student Rep
- Thomas Toscano – Mentoring Programme co-lead
- Biju Antony - Mentoring Programme co-lead
Aim of the SIG
We are the British Association of Social Workers Special Interest Group for Overseas Qualified Social Workers in the UK
We aim to:
- Advocate for the voice and interest of diaspora or overseas social workers
- Promote best practice standards for the recruitment and retention of diaspora social workers.
- Promote the development of support networks for diaspora social workers
SIG Meetings
The committee members meetings every 6-8 weeks but we also engage in monthly network meetings with diaspora/overseas social workers throughout the year. The network meetings allows us to connect and share our experiences around a common theme for discussion each month.
Email diaspora@baswnetwork.co.uk for more details.
International Recruitment and Induction Standards for International Social Workers coming to the UK
In June 2023, the SIG published a framework providing guidance on best practice in the recruitment and induction processes for social workers who have qualified outside the UK. "International Recruitment and Induction Standards for International Social Workers coming to the UK."
The standards have been co-produced with social workers who have lived experience of migration to the UK and aims to ensure that international social workers have the support and training they need to be successful as social workers in the UK and to make a positive difference to their employers and the lives of the people with whom they will work. The standards have also been developed in the context of unprecedented demand for social workers in the UK, with recruitment and retention pressures a significant challenge for the profession.
BASW Diaspora Social Workers Special Interest Group (SIG) Statement on Proposed Increases to Renewal, Restoration, and Scrutiny Fees
We have written to Social Work England urging them to reconsider this fee increase and to explore more equitable, sustainable alternatives, such as:
•Phased fee adjustments over time
•Subsidies for applicants in hard-to-recruit areas
•Employer-supported registration or fee-waiver schemes
It is vital that we do not lose sight of our professional values and commitment to inclusivity and fairness. Supporting overseas applicants is not only the right thing to do, it is essential to the continued strength and diversity of the UK’s social work profession.
Read our full letter on the link below.
Diaspora Special Interest Group Support Statement - Response to UK Riots
We call upon our communities to recognise the severity of these traumatic situations and encourage all members of our community to come together in solidarity to reject hate and violence in any form. Let's work together to build a positive society that embraces the principles of equality, inclusion, and mutual respect.
Read our full response to the recent acts of racial violence in the UK on the link below.
Useful links and resources
For employers
- Department of Health and Social Care: Code of Practice for the international recruitment of health and social care personnel in England
- Skills For Care: International Recruitment International recruitment (skillsforcare.org.uk)
- CIPD Employing Overseas Workers | Factsheets | CIPD
- NHS Ethical Recruiters List Ethical Recruiters List | NHS Employers
- Diaspora SIG Induction Standards
For job applicants
If you are thinking of coming to work in the UK, it is important that you are well informed become arriving. Here we list some important resources to help you make this important decision.
Already in the UK?
You are welcome to join us at our monthly network meetings or connect with other social work groups in the UK.
- Hong Kong Social Workers Action Group (hei@ukwelcomesrefugees.org)
- Black & Ethnic Minority Professionals Symposium
Do you need advice and representation at work?
As a BASW member you can access free advice and telephone support from the BASW Advice and Representation team. Find out more about the Advice and Representation service here.
Research
Here, we list some of the research involving diaspora social workers and ethnic communities in the UK and abroad.
In the NEWS- articles, blogs, vlogs!
Podcast: Alison Domakin, Research in Practice, talks to Duc Tran and Priya David co-chairs of the BASW Diaspora SIG.
Celebrating international social workers and supporting them to thrive in the UK | Research in Practice
Podcast - Related news item - Promoting inclusivity in health and social care
Community Care: Councils able to recruit overseas social workers through £15m fund - Community Care
Social Work Student Connect: International Social Work (341) International Social Work. Social Work Student Connect Webinar 36. - YouTube
The Express Channel (341) move to uk as an overseas trained social worker| relocate to uk as an international social worker - YouTube
Intentional Favour (341) What Children Social Workers Do in UK | Insight into Children Social Services & Social Workers' Role - YouTube
Training & support
The SIG aims to develop training webinars on specific topics for overseas qualified social workers and their managers. Course information will be available here.
Cost of living in the UK
You may have heard that it is expensive to live in the UK, with the price of goods and services being affected by the war in Ukraine, Covid and Brexit. It is important to control your expenses and there are resources that can help you to achieve this.
